Wife loses leg in car attack by husband

A wife lost a leg after her jealous husband crashed his car into her in the belief she was having an affair with his daughter's tennis coach.

Accountant Paul Martins, 47, pinned his wife Kay against the front porch of their home, breaking her leg in two places and causing serious tissue damage.

Her injuries were so severe the leg had to be amputated below the knee, but Mrs Martins saved her husband from a prison sentence by saying she did not want him jailed.

Martins, who admitted causing her grievous bodily harm, was given an 18-month sentence suspended for two years.

The couple, who have three children, are now divorcing after 17 years. They had a furious row last October after Martins confronted his wife at their home about her relationship with the tennis coach.

He drove off after flinging her clothes from their Suffolk home, but returned to ram their front porch - swerving at the last minute to miss his son.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that instead he hit his wife, who he had not seen coming outside to retrieve her clothes.

He rammed the car into their front porch, pinning his wife between the vehicle and the structure. Two weeks later Mrs Martins was forced to have the injured leg amputated.

The couple had been experiencing problems with their marriage for some time, the court was told.