A POLICE inspector left his wife ‘petrified’ after accusing her of having an affair and threatening to put a knife to their children’s throat until she admitted adultery.

Mustaq Patala, 33, then left the house and his wife of 11 years, Zaheda, rang the police.

Earlier in the day, November 4 last year, Patala had been to the doctors and Zaheda had visited the Wish Centre, Blackburn, to speak to a domestic violence councillor about previous altercations in the home.

Michael Maher, prosecuting, said: “She described her husband as a ‘controlling individual’ and was genuinely frightened of the situation she was in, because of his status and rank.

“It was plain from the 999 call on that day that she was terrified of her husband.

When Patala went to collect the children from the mosque, she called the police.

Mr Maher said: “When police arrived she was petrified and visibly relieved to see them.” Patala was arrested.

En-route to the station, Patala admitted having a ‘mighty argument’, that his marriage was ‘rocky’ and his wife was scared of him, but denied making the threats.

At Preston Crown Court today, he was given a two-year community order including supervision, domestic violence programme and 180 hours unpaid work requirements, after admitting two counts of common assault.

The first admitted incident was in April 2009, witnesses by two of his children.

Patala threw a plant pot and a vase, grabbed his wife and pulled her to the floor. He then ripped the phone from the socket.

The second admitted incident was in October 2010. His son later told police that his dad was angry and unkind to his mother and ‘was being a bad person’.

Andrew Nuttall, for Patala, said his client had ‘already paid an enormous price for his weaknesses and shortcomings’.

He said: “Fundamentally this is a decent man who found life outside the strict confines of a police force hard to bear.

“He had a glittering future which is in ashes. But he’s not a lost cause.”

Patala resigned from the force last month and is now unemployed and caring for his terminally-ill father.

The couple are separated.