THE daughter of a pensioner attacked by her estranged husband expressed her "utter disbelief" as he was cleared of attempted murder.

Church-goer Edward Moreton, aged 68, attacked wife Angela, 73, at their home in Leeson Drive, Ferndown, after she found out about his affair with her best friend and filed for divorce.

The court heard he tried to strangle her three times and banged her head repeatedly on concrete when she made a run for her neighbour's house on December 3 last year.

Mrs Moreton suffered head injuries, bruising to her ribs and abdomen and had to have an eye operation because it was bruised and haemorrhaged.

A jury of eight women and four men at Bournemouth Crown Court also found 68-year-old Edward Moreton not guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent.

Retired chauffeur Moreton had already pleaded guilty to a charge of causing grievous bodily harm to his wife.

Judge Samuel Wiggs remanded Moreton into custody and adjourned sentencing for reports until August 3.

Speaking after the verdict Angela's daughter Beverley Myerovitz said her mother would now be likely to flee the country to escape from her husband once he got out of jail.

She said: "I just feel utter disbelief and shock. At the end of the day I was on the end of the telephone and I heard what was going on.

"We had various neighbours who were there and saw her being attacked."

Describing her ordeal earlier this week Angela told the jury: "There was no emotion. He was completely cold. This is what frightened me more than anything."

Moreton told the jury that he "snapped like an elastic band" after six weeks of overhearing conversations between his wife and Mrs Myerovitz in which he said Mrs Myerovitz made "derogatory remarks" about him but denied that he had intended to hurt or kill his wife.