A 'cricket widow' pensioner who battered her sports-mad 76-year-old husband with a rolling pin after claiming he did not spend enough time with her has avoided jail.

Jean Crossland, 76, of East Heslerton, North Yorkshire, hit husband John around the ankles as he lay in bed after years of tension between the couple, a court heard.

Scarborough Magistrates' Court heard that Mrs Crossland had to spend two hours sitting in a Morrisons car park on March 24 while her husband, a former parish councillor, visited his lawyer.

Convicted: Jean Crossland (left), 76, was found guilty of attacking her husband John (right) with a rolling pin as he lay in bed - but she has now narrowly avoided jail

On their way home to East Heslerton, North Yorkshire, she refused to put her seatbelt on, then snatched the glasses off Mr Crossland's face and tried to grab control of the car.

He reported his wife to the police, but was told that it was a civil matter and officers were powerless to intervene.

That night, Mrs Crossland attacked her husband, who is 6ft tall and weighs 16st, with a rolling pin while he was in bed.

A court heard she slapped the end of her unusual weapon against her palm before hitting her husband of more than 50 years.

Mr Crossland told the court: ' I felt very intimidated. She insulted me, calling me various colours - yellow being the main one. She also called me "little mouse" and said "you're as bad as your father".'

The next morning, the defendant acted as if nothing had happened and asked her husband to peel some potatoes, magistrates heard.

When he called 999, police came to the couple's bungalow and arrested Mrs Crossland.

But the following day she lost her temper again and volleyed punches at Mr Crossland's head and body, giving him a black eye.

Home: The assault took place at the couple's bungalow (pictured) in East Heslerton, North Yorkshire

Mr Crossland, who remains a prominent figure in Ryedale's cricketing and sporting circles, called police, who attended the bungalow and arrested Mrs Crossland.

She faced up to six months in prison over the assaults but magistrates eventually agreed with probation workers that the case was suitable for community punishment.

During a previous hearing Mrs Crossland accused her husband of causing the injuries himself following a history of domestic abuse - a claim he strongly denied.

She said that she had hoped to spend more time with her husband after he retired from his job as a cricket groundsman 12 years ago, but he 'had not been around too much', leaving her 'a bit angered'.

Mr Crossland described their marriage as 'reasonable' until recent years, and claimed he had taken on a 'carer role' since his retirement.

A doctor said while Mrs Crossland was in 'poor health', she was not suffering from dementia as had been suspected.

Mr Crossland added: 'Recently it became very physical and I was getting quite a lot of physical abuse.'

Mrs Crossland denied two counts of assault by beating and £30 criminal damage to her husband's mobile phone but was convicted at a previous hearing.

She maintained she always kept a rolling pin by her side in case they were burgled. But her husband said he had only seen the rolling pin when she was baking.

She was made the subject of a 20 day rehabilitation act requirement as part of 12 month community order.

She was also ordered to pay £620 costs £60 surcharge.

She remains living at the marital address but will be required to leave soon.