A terrified wife kept prisoner in her own home was found under-nourished and prematurely aged when her controlling husband was arrested by police.

Bully Martin McGlasson, 50, kept his wife locked in a bedroom and even refused to let her use the toilet, Canterbury Crown Court was told.

He told her what she could wear, filmed her and prevented friends from visiting their home.

Things became so desperate that she set up an emergency help group on Facebook, where she would regularly check in with friends to let them know she was OK.

Judge Heather Norton said although not physically abusive, McGlasson had been “psychologically violent” to his wife, who was found in her night clothes when police went to the house.

She told McGlasson: “You kept your wife as a virtual prisoner, unable to go out.

"You kept her isolated. She set up this emergency help group on Facebook so that if she didn’t check in her friends would alert the police.”

When psychiatrist’s prepared a report on McGlasson’s mental state he said he behaved that way because his wife’s father “didn’t want her to live a good life” so he was preventing her contacting him.

The judge said: “You told the psychiatrist that your wife’s father wanted to control her life; her father did not want her to live her life in the way she wished.

"You will pose a threat to your family going forward and I have grave fears that that is exactly what you will do" - Judge Heather Norton

“All your actions were done to prevent your wife from contacting her father, so you could protect your wife from her father’s controlling behaviour.

“Anyone listening to that would not take more than a second to realise that what you were describing her father was doing was in fact what you were doing.”

The judge added that even when he was sent to a hospital for psychiatric observation, McGlasson, of Cornwall Gardens, Cliftonville, became aggressive, controlling and threatening to staff.

He was jailed for 12 months but has been freed immediately after already serving 14 months on remand.

Judge Norton added: “The psychiatrists believe your mental condition means you will pose a threat to your family going forward and I have grave fears that that is exactly what you will do.”

Because McGlasson does not believe he has any problems, the doctors couldn’t make a recommendation for treatment either in hospital or in the community – and the probation service is also unable to intervene.

Judge Norton said it was not the duty of the court to tell adults how to conduct their lives, but added: “I want to put it on record I am concerned about the risk that you pose and I am concerned about your wife and mother and I urge them to think very carefully about what they do next.

“You have said that you have no intention of returning to your wife. I hope that’s correct.”