A Burnley man who attacked his wife with a hammer at their hairdressing salon because he couldn't face the end of their marriage has been jailed for four years.

Trevor Baines "flipped" after an innocuous remark by Victoria Winder, struck her around the head and calmly told her "I'm going to kill you."

He also tried to strangle her at the business in Acc-rington Road, Burnley, Preston Crown Court was told.

Baines, 46, of Pollard Street, Burnley, had originally faced a charge of attempted murder but pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.

Bernadette Baxter, prosecuting, said the couple had had a 13-year relationship and been married for ten. But in the last few years the relationship had been difficult, largely due to his excessive drinking, which led to outbursts of temper and violence.

Mrs Baines did not want the relationship to continue and in November last year texted him to say she did not love him in the way she once had.

Miss Baxter said the rejection led to a "half hearted" attempt by Baines to kill himself by cutting his wrists and in the early part of the new year, his wife left the matrimonial home.

But they still worked together daily as partners in the hairdressing business.

On the morning of the attack, February 9, Mrs Baines had gone to get cigarettes from her handbag and was kneeling or bending down when she felt a heavy blow to the back of the head, the court was told.

Miss Baxter told the court: "It was the first of three blows. Initially, she thought something must have dropped or fallen on her head.

"She looked round to see the defendant holding a hammer in his hand."

She asked him: "What the hell are you doing?" and as he was striking the blows he calmly said "I'm going to kill you". Baines was asked why and he responded "because you hate me."

Mrs Baines began to struggle to try and take hold of the hammer, to prevent further blows to the head.

The prosecution said that at one point, he was leaning over her, trying to strangle her. The hammer was across her neck.

She was shouting out and her 17-year-old son was in a flat above the shop and went down to help.

The defendant then went outside and flagging down a police car, told a constable: "I have just tried to kill my wife."

His wife's head and face were covered in blood. She was treated at Burnley General hospital for injuries that included three cuts the head.

The defendant told police his mind had been something of a blur regarding what his intention was at the time. But, he told police, he had had no intention of killing his wife.

Mr Mark Stuart, defending, said "He accepts he is fortunate the conseq-uences for both him and his wife were not worse than what they were."

Mr Stuart told the court: "They had an argument that morn-ing. Quite simply, it was the straw that broke the camel's back. He snapped. She had said a fairly innocuous remark".

"The defendant is devastated by what he has done to his wife and even now, he cannot believe he did what he did and can only apologise to her. It was reprehensible and he accepts that."