A FORMER police officer beat his wife and threatened to slit her parents' throats.

Roger Nelson, 32, a former constable with Durham police, subjected his wife to two years of married hell, Newcastle Crown Court heard. Nelson resigned from the force last year over allegations that he attacked another officer, the court was told.

Julie Clemitson, prosecuting, said Nelson became violent towards his wife shortly after they married in 1998. She said Mrs Nelson described how Nelson went into a trance-like state before carrying out one particularly brutal assault at their home in Garden Terrace, Burnopfield.

"She grabbed the phone to call for help, but the defendant bit through the cable," she said.

Mrs Nelson later suffered a miscarriage, and after a further attack in September last year they separated and Nelson moved to London. Nelson went berserk last February, when his wife told him their marriage was over.

He turned on his in-laws and in a telephone call told them he was on his way to 'dispense justice' for what they had done, telling them he was going to 'slit their throats'.

When police arrested Nelson at Scotch Corner, he said he was returning to collect some belongings.

Nelson admitted three charges of actual bodily harm and one of harassment. Judge Maurice Carr deferred sentence for six months after reading statements from witnesses who had seen Nelson being attacked by his wife.

Erie Elliot, for Nelson, said: "The attacks took place at a time when the defendant was suffering depression."