A FORMER prison governor who was jailed for persistently harassing his wife attacked her on the first day of his release.

Leigh man William Woodward phoned his wife, May, from Bristol Prison as he was freed. Hours later, she saw him lurking in the darkness outside their home.

Mrs Woodward pressed a panic button but Woodward chased her along the street, ripped off her blouse and tried to choke her.

When police arrived, Woodward was in his wife's bedroom and during a scuffle he threw a window handle at a policeman, hitting him in the groin.

Woodward had been jailed for almost six months for breaching a court order stopping him from contacting or visiting his wife at their former marital home on Newlands Drive, Lowton.

Bolton Crown Court heard how the father-of-three's life fell apart after he was retired on medical grounds from Liverpool Prison where he was governor.

Geoff Whelan, prosecuting, said the day before his release in February Mrs Woodward had the panic button installed at her home.

Woodward, aged 54, said he knew by going to see his wife he would be in breach of the restraining order.

He said he was an alcoholic and had no clear recollection of the evening. When charged he replied: "Guilty to all charges."

Woodward showed no emotion when Judge Bruce Macmillan sentenced him to two years in jail. He admitted assault and breaching a restraining order.

The court heard Woodward had been a man of good character until September 1998 when he had retired as governor of Liverpool Prison.

Since then he had served two periods of imprisonment for breaching the restraining order.

Alaric Bassano, for Woodward, said he decided to go to his wife's house after he tried to get money from his account but discovered it to be empty.

"He had not intended to attack his wife but when he got home he just flipped, no doubt at the time fuelled by drink," Mr Bassano said. Judge Bruce Macmillan said the attack had been a nasty incident and that it was clear that he had to impose a substantial sentence.