A MAN with a drink problem told a court that he had "crossed the line" during an incident at his home involving a small axe and his wife.

Peter William Cook, 51, said that he was sorry after admitting that on April 1 this year he used violence to secure entry into the family home, Granite House at Pandy, Llangollen,

He was currently living temporarily with his sister in the Abertillery area but was commuting to the Shropshire area in order that he could continue his work in gardening and property maintenance.

"I have lost everything. I cannot afford to lose my work," he told North East Wales Magistrates' Court at Mold on Friday, March 5.

The court was told that his wife Victoria Cook regarded him as her best friend and did not support the prosecution.

But said had told police that she hoped he would use it as a wake up call.

She confirmed that she wanted neither compensation or a restraining order.

Prosecutor Justin Espie said that police had responded to a report of an on-going domestic incident.

On arrival they witnessed a small silver axe on the floor outside the property.

His wife had called the police due to his behaviour.

He was drunk, she told him to leave, he had been banging on the door and shouting at her and she refused to allow him in.

The defendant smashed a kitchen window with the small axe and climbed inside and chased her into a bedroom.

She managed to get away by climbing through the bedroom window.

His behaviour escalated so that she felt in danger and police observed a significant amount of blood loss on the kitchen floor and broken glass.

The defendant was arrested.

The prosecutor said that the 999 call to the police showed that the wife was screaming and distressed and a male could be heard shouting in the background. There was also the sound of broken glass.

She wanted him to get help and did not want him criminalised.

Probation officer Leah Arton said that the couple had been married 20 years but in recent times there had been something of a breakdown because of trust issues and his heavy drinking.

It was his case that he went outside for a smoke, he was locked out and that was something that it was alleged had happened several times before.

He had enough, wanted to get back in and had not gone looking for the axe. It was just there.

The defendant used it to smash the window but had no intention of using it on anyone inside the property.

He pleaded guilty because he knew he should not have done it.

Clark was fully aware that he had scared those inside the property and was deeply ashamed. Things may have been different if he had been sober.

He put himself as five on a one to ten sobriety scale but conceded that he had drunk heavily in recent years and drank between four to eight cans of beer a day together with a bottle of wine.

It was a coping mechanism for his depression and he had previously been to AA meetings, she said.

The defendant would like to rekindle the relationship but knew that he needed to get himself sorted out first.

Clark told the court: "I would like to apologise.

"I crossed the line. It should not have happened. She locked me out when she was angry but I crossed the line.

"I have lost everything , basically. I cannot afford to lose my work."

Magistrates placed him on an 18 month community order with rehabilitation to help him look at his drink problem.

They said that they regarded it as a reckless offence and he was also fined £200 with £85 costs with an £85 surcharge.