A MAN attacked his wife after she caught him having sex with another woman in a Southampton park on their anniversary.

Dale Hillyar bit his wife on the nose before holding her against a fence and hitting her with his clenched fist.

A “good Samaritan” passing by was genuinely concerned Hillyar would end up killing her so intervened.

The man who knew jiu-jitsu tried to put him in a sleeper hold during the incident in the early hours of September 13 this year.

However Hillyar, 37, was able to struggle free and bit through the man’s leather jacket making his chest bleed, a court heard.

There had been a party at Hillyar’s former home where they had been celebrating his wife’s birthday and their anniversary having been together “for some 19 years”.

At some point, Hillyar offered to walk a “good friend” back to her home.

However, his wife became concerned when it was taking longer than it should have.

After going to look for him she spotted him in a nearby park in Lobelia Road “having sexual relations” with the woman.

During a police interview, Hillyar said he could not remember what had happened.

He was charged with assault by beating and one count of assault causing actual bodily harm against the man who intervened. He pleaded guilty to both charges.

The court heard, his wife did not want to support the prosecution case and did not want a restraining order against Hillyar.

Defending, David Olden, said his client had accepted what he had done and said it was not normal behaviour for him.

During sentencing chairman of the magistrates Kevin White said that biting is essentially a form of weapon.

He jailed Hillyar, whose address is now Pennine Road, in Millbrook, for 12 weeks, suspended for 24 months.

Hillyar was ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation.

He must pay a £122 victim surcharge, £200 compensation and £85 court costs.