A man who assaulted his wife in a pub and had to be restrained by customers has been sentenced to community service.

Joseph James David McParland pinned his wife’s head to a pool table, grabbed her throat and then pushed her to the floor.

The 59-year-old pleaded guilty to common assault and disorderly behaviour on licensed premises and was ordered to do 100 hours unpaid work by High Bailiff Jayne Hughes.

He was also banned from entering licensed premises and purchasing or being sold alcohol for three months.

Prosecuting advocate Barry Swain told the court how McParland, who lives at Orry Place in Castletown, was at the Sidings pub in Station Road in Castletown on April 17 with his wife and children.

The groundworker had been watching football, but at around 8.20pm he was seen lunging at his wife, grabbing her face and pushing her head down onto the pool table forcefully.

He then grabbed her throat and pushed her head along the table as his wife tried to grab something to get him off. He then pushed her to the ground before four members of the public restrained him and he was ejected from the pub.

The incident happened in the view of their children.

McParland was later arrested at his home and said to police: ‘For what?’

On April 18, he was interviewed and said he couldn’t remember events in the pub but felt terrible about what he had done.

A probation report said that McParland had moved to the Isle of Man in 2002 from Ireland and met his wife here.

He told probation that he was highly intoxicated on the night of the incident and thought that he had drunk around 12 pints of lager.

The report said that McParland was very distressed discussing the incident, saying that he had never laid a finger on his wife previously.

He said: ‘I take full responsibility. I would cut my hand off if I could, to think that I have hurt my wife in this way.’

McParland told probation that he did not have an issue with alcohol but at times, on social occasions, he would drink too much.

The report said McParland would be likely to lose his job if he was sentenced to custody, and he was concerned about the impact that would have on his family.

The court heard that his last conviction was in 2011, for drink-driving.

Defence advocate James Peterson said that McParland’s wife was content for him to return to their home, but she did not want him drinking.

Mr Peterson said: ‘My client is shocked and appalled at what he has done. He doesn’t know what happened. He can’t put any excuse forward as there is none.

‘Clearly alcohol has been the primary factor. At this moment in time he’s happy to be banned for life.’

High Bailiff Mrs Hughes sentenced McParland to 100 hours for each offence, to run concurrently.

She said that she had taken into account the fact that he had spent two days in custody after his arrest, and the impact a custodial sentence would have on his family.

He was also ordered to pay £125 prosecution costs by May 20.