Christmas may be well and truly over for most of us but it is only just beginning for one family.

For father-of-four Gary Bingham spent the festive period behind bars in Armley prison after a domestic argument in November got out of hand and he slapped his wife Bernadette.

But now the couple are hoping to make up for lost time after Gary, 41, was given a six-month conditional discharge when he appeared at Bingley Magistrates' Court yesterday following seven weeks on remand.

And as soon as he got through the door of their home in North Dean Avenue, Braithwaite, his first thoughts were to celebrate with his family.

After the hearing, Gary said: "It's been traumatic. It crippled me missing Christmas. I love to watch them open their presents.

"It was quiet in Armley. You could feel the tension with other people being away from their families and you could cut the atmosphere with a knife. I nearly cracked up, knowing I should be home, but I was in jail for one slap.

"At home I always make the Christmas dinner and take Bernadette breakfast in bed. I just enjoy being with my kids. So at the end of this month, on the 26th - which is my brother Kevin's birthday - we shall have Christmas again with turkey and all the trimmings."

Bernadette, 30, who said she would have liked the case to be dropped, added: "It's nice to have him back, Christmas was very difficult without him. It was just another day, it wasn't Christmas at all. He is the life and soul of the party."

The court heard the couple had been drinking when they became embroiled in an argument over a taxi fare which ended up with her provoking Gary who slapped her once across the face.

Bernadette then ran into a nearby school and the head mistress had to lock the school door to keep him out.

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