A MAN who found his estranged wife in a hotel room with a naked man lost his temper, slapped her, and punched him, heard Skipton Magistrates Court.

Michael Morgan, 55, of Brindley Wharf, Skipton, had been married to his wife, Rossalin, for 15 years, and they had two children together, the court heard on Friday. He hoped their marriage was not over and still cared deeply for his wife, but she believed the relationship was at an end, the court was told.

Mrs Morgan stated she had separated from her husband in June and he had moved out of the family home, said prosecutor, Nadine Clough. Things appeared to be all right and she believed Morgan had a new girlfriend.

Then, Morgan had seen her with another man at the Coniston Hotel where she worked as a cleaner and had challenged her about him, to which she had responded it was ‘none of his business’. There followed a number of abusive text messages and missed telephone calls to Mrs Morgan which included a threat to put naked photos of her, taken with her consent when they were together, on Facebook.

Mrs Morgan and her new partner had booked into the Coniston Hotel for a long weekend in October when Morgan had been driving past, had seen her car and gone looking for her, the court heard.

Morgan went to their room and when she answered the door, slapped her, knocking her to the floor. He then grabbed the man, who was in the bathroom, pushed him against a doorframe, and punched him, said Miss Clough.

The other man managed to get hold of Morgan, held him face down on the bed, asking if he was going to calm down. Morgan continued to be abusive, calling his wife a ‘horrible woman’ and refusing to shake hands with the other man on his way out of the room.The man suffered scratches and bruises and Mrs Morgan stated she did not want her husband to contact her again, the court heard.

Morgan, of previous good character, had been married to his wife, who was originally from Thailand, for 15 years and was still very fond of her, the court heard in mitigation.

John Mewies said Morgan, a businessman, was remorseful but had ‘come across a scene that he could barely believe’.

He had entered the hotel lobby and had thought something strange because staff appeared to be ‘sniggering slightly’, said Mr Mewies.

“He knocked on the door, his wife answered. She was in a state of undress and he saw a naked man in the shower. He lost his temper and there was a bit of a fracas in the hotel room,” said Mr Mewies.

Morgan was deeply affected by what had happened, and had been deeply upset and emotional, added Mr Mewies.

“ He is deeply affected by this, but it is a situation not of his making. He came across a scene that he could barely believe."

Morgan admitted the assault by beating of both his wife and the other man on October 10, and to harassment without violence of Rossalin Morgan between October 4 and October 10.

Magistrates adjourned sentencing for reports to January 15 and warned Morgan they were not ruling out a possible custodial sentence.