A man who beat his ex-wife with a nail-spiked club has been spared jail by a Portuguese court because her infidelity brought “dishonour” on him.

After teaming up with the woman's former lover who restrained her, he hit her repeatedly with the home made weapon, court documents showed.

She was left head injuries that needed five stitches after the June 2015 attack, according to CNN which originally reported the story.

Her husband was originally given a 15 month suspended sentence and a fine.

But when this was challenged, the appeals court in Porto refused to impose a stiffer sentence on the man.

Citing the Bible and the Portuguese Penal Code of 1886, which allows little more than symbolic punishment for domestic violence, the ruling, written by Judge Joaquim Neto de Moura and co-signed by Maria Luisa Abrantes said that the woman's adultery was "a very serious attack on the honour and dignity of the man."

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It added: "It was the disloyalty and the sexual immorality of the plaintiff that made (the defendant) fall into a profound depression, and it was in this depressive state and clouded by the revolt that carried out the act of aggression, as was well considered in the judgement under appeal."

"This case is far from having the seriousness that, generally, is presented in cases of mistreatment in the context of domestic violence. On the other hand, the conduct of the defendant took place in a context of adultery practised by the plaintiff."

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The judges defended the ruling by citing a passage in the Bible that states: “The adulterous woman must be punished by death”.

The case has sparked outrage in Portugal and demonstrations against it are reportedly being planned in Porto and Lisbon.