A FORMER policeman who attacked his ex-wife of almost 32 years as she held their baby granddaughter has been jailed for three years.

Father-of-three Michael Condliffe, 54, threw Janet Bentley against a wardrobe, tried to "strangle" her and reached into his sock for a knife.

Ms Bentley thought she was going to die as Condliffe told her: "I have come to do what I have got to do," at their son's home, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Condliffe, who has no previous convictions, was told by Judge Raymond Bennett it was sad to see a man of his age in the dock for the first time.

He said the defendant must have frightened the life out of his ex-wife and didn't make a good impression.

Condliffe, of Coal Clough Lane, Burnley, admitted making a threat to kill in March.

John O'Shea, prosecuting, said for the first seven years of the marriage, Ms Bentley thought everything seemed fine, but Condliffe had a nervous breakdown and she believed he was diagnosed as schizophrenic. His behaviour changed and the couple separated. In March, Ms Bentley went to see her son and grandchild and as the defendant was present, he decided to leave.

Condliffe returned about an hour later and the defendant, who had become obsessed with the belief she was sleeping with other men during their marriage, became aggressive, shouting and swearing.

Condliffe left and returned about 7pm and went upstairs to where his estranged wife was and called her a bitch.

He then lunged at her, grabbed her by the hair and threw her at the wardrobe as she held their 20-month-old granddaughter.

He then put Ms Bentley on the bed and knelt on her chest as their son Roger tried to stop him.

As the victim still held the child, the defendant tried to "strangle" his wife who felt herself "drifting away", as Condliffe said: "I have come to do what I have got to do. You put me through it. I have to get revenge."

As others tried to get Condliffe away, he reached into his sock and pulled out a knife, lunged at her and pressed the knife into her skin.

Ms Bentley urged him: "Do it," and that seemed to stop Condliffe in his tracks. She was then taken to hospital, suffering various injuries.

Anthony Cross, defending, said Condliffe expressed his remorse and had attended each and every course available to him in custody.

He was completely unused to the prison system, was not stupid and wanted to put the incident behind him.

There was no evidence to suggest the defendant was a risk to other women and he had formed a relationship with another woman when he split up with his wife.

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