A PRISON officer has appeared in court charged with abusing his wife of 29 years.
Ian William Rand is accused of causing Anne Marie Rand to fear violence would be used against her between November 4 and June 6.
Mr Rand, who works at Deerbolt young offenders' institute, Startforth, near Barnard Castle, denies the charge. The couple are now separated.
After the hearing, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice said Mr Rand had not been suspended from Deerbolt.
"It is not policy to automatically suspend a member of staff charged with an offence, unless that offence compromises the member of staff's position at work," she said.
Mr Rand, 40, of Carwardine Close, Newton Aycliffe, will appear before Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court on October 10 for committal to Crown Court. He was granted conditional bail.
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