A FORMER firefighter who repeatedly punched his wife admitted his guilt in a court appearance on Thursday, but said he cannot remember the incident.

Wayne Robinson, 27, of Francis Street, Trowbridge, admitted common assault against Kelly Robinson when he appeared before magistrates at Chippenham.

Nicola Wootton, prosecuting, said that at one point Mrs Robinson became so distressed she threatened to kill herself and her husband handed her a knife, which she used to cut her own wrist. She suffered swelling to her face, a black eye and bruising to the upper body in the incident on February 10.

She said: "In her statement the lady describes six years of domestic violence, emotional, physical and financial, at the hands of this defendant."

She said an argument had broken out and Robinson attacked his wife. Mrs Robinson managed to escape from the house but he followed and dragged her back inside by her hair. After she cut herself he drove her to hospital and the police were called.

Andrew Watts-Jones, defending, said Robinson had no memory of the attack, despite not having drunk enough to fail a breath test after driving to the hospital.

"He accepts this offence despite the fact that he doesn't remember doing it. All you can assume is he has put it to the back of his mind," he said.

The court heard Robinson had left his dream job as a firefighter because of this incident but denied there was a pattern of violence in the relationship or that he handed his wife a knife.

Mr Watts-Jones said: "There is a very long statement from Mrs Robinson but very few details. It is clear from that statement it was a very stressful and volatile marriage."

The case was adjourned until June 7 for probation service reports.