A Somerset man has appeared in court after allegedly assaulting his wife after she told him she was gay.

Wayne Matthew Judges, of Yeovil, appeared in court at Somerset Magistrates Court on Friday.

The court sat as a special domestic violence court.

Judges was charged with two counts of assaulting a woman by beating her at their marital home on 3 July, and pleaded not guilty.

The court heard from prosecutor Edward Counsell that the alleged offences took place after the victim told her husband she wanted to break up because she identified as a lesbian.

Judges was then accused of slamming the front door and trapping his wife’s arm, including in a car door as she tried to drive away.

Defending Judges was Sam Morton, who said the first incident took place out of self defence, and denied that the second had taken place at all.

The case was adjourned, and Judges will stand trial on 4 December. He has been released on unconditional bail until then.

Comments have been disabled on this story for legal reasons.