THE owner of a Chard residential home for the elderly has appeared in court facing charges relating to a string of vicious assaults against his wife.

Graham Richard Ambridge is accused of carrying out the attacks on three separate dates between December and February at the care home on Hornsbury Hill.

The 53-year-old, of Stoford, West Buckland, appeared in the dock before Somerset Magistrates, sitting as a special domestic violence court at Yeovil.

He pleaded not guilty to two allegations of assaulting his wife by beating her on February 5.

He also denied two similar offences said to have been committed on January 7 and December 3 last year.

Prosecutor Christine Hart said that among the various incidents, Ambridge was said to have put his forearm across the victim’s throat and punched her with his fist causing her to fall against a door, kicked her and left her with two black eyes.

He was also alleged to have grabbed her hair and held her head underneath the water in a bath.

And on another occasion he allegedly pushed her into the boot of his car.

Defending solicitor Joseph Wright said that Ambridge disputed all four offences claiming a mixture of self defence and factual denials.

He added that the defendant’s wife had already made a retraction statement to the police and their marriage was ongoing.

Miss Hart said that the complainant had said she did not want to attend a trial to give evidence but the magistrates ordered a witness summons to be issued requiring her to come to court.

A review of the case was carried out and all matters were adjourned until June 6 when Ambridge must return to the court at Yeovil to stand trial.

In the meantime he was released on unconditional bail.