A SOUTHAMPTON man forcibly cut his wife’s hair in a “humiliating” and “frightening” attack.

Jacek Stefanski shoved his wife’s head between her knees and cut her hair with scissors.

He then spat at his victim, who told a court she “thought she was going to die” during the attack.

On Monday, the 39-year-old was jailed for 15 months after being found guilty of two counts of assault.

It followed a trial at Southampton Crown Court, in which a jury heard how Stefanski attacked his wife at an address in the city on September 4 last year.

Stefanski told police investigating the incident that he was attempting to take her hair in order to submit it for a drug test.

He denied the charges of assault.

However, a jury found Stefanski guilty of battery and actual bodily harm (ABH).

Sentencing Stefanski, of High Road, Swaythling, Judge Gary Burrell, said: “What you did was subject your victim to a wholly humiliating and frightening attack, by forcibly cutting her long hair.

“She said in evidence that she was frightened and thought she was going to die.

“The fact that you wanted to have her hair tested for drugs, in my opinion, is not mitigation because you took it by force.

“You pulled her head between her knees and took her hair.

“An aggravating factor is that you had been planning this for some time, and also the use of scissors, which could be seen as a weapon.”

As well as a 15-month sentence for ABH, Stefanksi was given a concurrent two-month sentence for spitting.

He was also given a restraining order, banning him from seeing his victim or visiting her home.

The restraining order will last 10 years.