Bruce Jones's wife alleges years of drunken abuse

The wife of former Coronation Street star Bruce Jones has told a court that he subjected her to years of drink-fuelled physical and emotional abuse.

Jones, 57, who played Les Battersby in the ITV1 soap, is accused at Mold Crown Court of trying to crash the couple's car as they travelled at high speed along a busy road.

The actor, of Alderley Edge, Cheshire, is on trial under his real name Ian Roy Jones and denies dangerous driving and common assault.

Sandra Jones, 59, who has been married to Jones for 26 years, said he was drunk in the passenger seat of their Mercedes M Class when he became angry and grabbed the steering wheel and jerked it up and down, causing the car to swerve dangerously.

Mrs Jones, who was driving the car along the A55 dual carriageway near Holywell, in Flintshire, North Wales, last August, managed to maintain control of the vehicle and bring it to a stop at a nearby pub.

But as she got out of the vehicle, the prosecution say Jones, who played Weatherfield layabout Les for 10 years until 2007, assaulted her by grabbing hold of her wrist.

Mrs Jones told the jury she became aware that her husband had a drink problem within six months of living together.

She said he would get drunk and shout at her, occasionally pushing and grabbing her or knocking over items of furniture.

She said on one occasion his behaviour led their daughter to call police and an ambulance, but added: "In more recent years it has been (him) shouting at me rather than being physical."

The case continues.

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