her, throwing her to the floor.

The attack moved to the kitchen, with him hitting her again, kicking her and stamping on her head.

She managed to get to her feet and attempted to escape, but he grabbed her and started cutting clumps of her hair.

His mood suddenly changed and he began to cry, but then he kicked her while brandishing two knives.

He stopped only to make a call to prevent the children returning home before dragging her out to the shed where she believed he was going to kill her.

He took her back into the house just as the police arrived, having been alerted by her colleagues, Mr Bannister said.

The attack lasted for two-and-a-half hours. A nurse at the hospital described the woman as having been "beaten black and blue".

Her eyes were almost closed because of swelling and her left wrist swelled to twice its size – and is still causing problems.

She suffered cuts to her arm, head and neck, and was covered in bruises.

When arrested, the defendant admitted what he had done, but said the "murder bag" was to frighten his wife and that he did not intend to kill her.

Andrew Tucker, defending, said his client acted while in a state of "complete turmoil" adding: "There is real evidence of remorse. He has written to apologise."

Judge Trevor Faber, who also made a restraining order banning the defendant from having any contact with his wife, told him: "In your own mind there was some provocation, but no amount of provocation can come close to excusing what you did to your wife that day."