A woman needed emergency surgery to remove her spleen after she was brutally beaten by her husband.

Mark Hodgson, 35, ‘lost it’ and punched his now ex-wife twice in front of children, a court heard.

The victim described the resulting pain as ‘worse than childbirth’.

When she was finally taken to hospital, medics discovered her spleen had ruptured and raced her into surgery.

Five years on from the attack the woman still suffers medical problems.

Hodgson, formerly of Greengates, Macclesfield, admitted assault causing grievous bodily harm at Liverpool Crown Court.

Sentencing him to 20 months in prison, suspended for two years, Judge Alan Conrad said while Hodgson’s actions were ‘very serious’ he did not intend for the consequences.

The judge also gave weight to the amount of time that had passed since the assault and that Hodgson’s ‘own future was uncertain’ because he has cancer.

Frances Willmott, prosecuting, said the assault at their home in September, 2011 happened after Hodgson saw the victim sending messages on Facebook.

She said: “There was an argument in the bedroom. She ran downstairs and, anticipating something, put her hands to her head. He then punched her twice to the body.

“She thought he had broken her ribs. She complained the pain was ‘worse than childbirth. He told her to stop complaining and that the hospital wouldn’t be able to do anything about her ribs.

“The defendant told family members that she fell down the stairs against the stair gate.

“She was eventually taken to hospital where they diagnosed her with a ruptured spleen which was removed that night in surgery.

“She protected the defendant but later she confided in a friend. The defendant later admitted he ‘lost it’ and punched her twice.”

Stephen McNally, defending, Hodgson, who has seven previous convictions for 17 offences, said: “The defendant is fortunate that the consequences of the assault were not more severe.

“He has his own health concerns, fighting parathyroid cancer. He plans to move to Devon with his new wife.”

Hodgson was also given a four-month curfew.