Ex-policewoman, 64, is spared jail after hitting her cheating husband over the head with a lamp before chasing him around the garden with a wine bottle in row over divorce

• Susan Dodge, 64, of Dorset had been shouting at her cheating husband, Alan
• She chased him around the back of their family home, shouting ‘I will kill you’
• Mr Dodge had to flee bare-foot over broken glass to escape his wife’s outburst
• His wife was given an 18 month community order and 200 hours unpaid work

A former police officer has avoided jail time after she hit her cheating husband around the head with a lamp and threatened to kill him during a heated divorce row. 

Susan Dodge, 64, of Sherborne in Dorset, also threw tea cups, wine glasses, a diffuser and a computer hard drive at her unfaithful spouse Alan during an argument over the couple’s divorce.

Mr Dodge was forced to flee his wife’s fit of rage by running bare-foot over broken glass that had been smashed over the floor of the couple’s Dorset home.

Once outside, an angry Mrs Dodge chased him around a tree while wielding two wine bottles and threatening to kill him.

Mrs Dodge (above) chased her husband of 22 years, around the family home’s garden while wielding two wine bottles and throwing objects including tea cups and a computer hard drive at him

Mr Dodge, who runs his own landscape gardening business, was left with an injury to the back of his head and cuts on his feet from treading on shards of glass.

A court heard the couple had been arguing over who should keep the family home, before Mrs Dodge erupted into a violent rage.

She was found guilty of causing actual bodily harm at a trial earlier this year and has now appeared at Poole Magistrates’ Court for sentencing.

The court was told that the couple had separated, partially due to infidelity from Mr Dodge.

On the night of the attack, in August of last year, they had been arguing over who would get to stay in their rural home.

Mrs Dodge then became verbally abusive before launching a physical tirade on her husband.

Jason Spellman, prosecuting, said: “He (Mr Dodge) walked off and the defendant picked up a white diffuser and threw it at him.

“He says other items were also thrown including a china cup, a computer hard drive and a wine glass.

“He then fled barefoot across broken glass and managed to get outside.

“The defendant then swiped him on the back of the head. At the time he did not know what with but she admitted in interview to striking him with a lamp.

“Susan then pursued him with a bottle in each hand and chased him around a tree threatening to kill him.

“The police were then called and attended quickly.”

Officials at Poole Magistrates’ Court, (pictured)  heard how Mr and Mrs Dodge had been arguing about divorce proceedings before she turned violent and hit him around the head with a lamp

District judge Stephen Nicholls heard that the couple had been married for 22 years and shared a grown-up son.

He was told that the defendant had lost her ‘good name’ due to the incident and that she regretted it hugely.

Fiona Larkin, mitigating, said: “In reflection she can see she has reacted in the wrong way and is extremely regretful for what happened.

“This is a lady who has lost her good name over this within the community, which was very important to her and she feels ashamed to be in this position.”

Mrs Dodge was given an 18 month community order and will have to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

She was also ordered to pay £620 in prosecution costs and a £90 victim surcharge.

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