The former Coronation Street star Bruce Jones has avoided going to jail for dangerous driving.
The actor, who played Les Battersby in the ITV1 soap, admitted last month that he yanked at the steering wheel of his wife Sandra's car as she drove along a busy road.
Jones, 57, was drunk and shouted "I'll kill us both" when the incident took place as his wife drove along the A55 in north Wales last August.
Jones was sentenced today at Mold crown court to eight months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
The actor pleaded guilty to dangerous driving a day after a jury heard his wife's evidence about how he subjected her to years of drink-fuelled physical and emotional abuse. He has since vowed to give up alcohol and save his marriage.
Jones showed no emotion as recorder Simon Medland handed down the sentence.
The judge told him: "You threatened to kill both you and your wife and you jerked the steering wheel up and down, causing the car to swerve within its lane.
"It is fortunate for you and all others around you that your wife had her wits about her.
"It is all too easy to see if the cards had fallen differently this might have ended in a fatality for you or your wife or for many other drivers."
Medland was told that Jones is in a 26-week rehabilitation programme to tackle his addiction. He said: "The efforts you are making to turn your life around are impressive."
Jones was ordered to do 100 hours' unpaid work and complete a 12-month supervision order.
He was disqualified from driving for 18 months and must pay £1,000 towards costs.
Appearing in court under his real name, Ian Roy Jones was almost halfway through his trial last month when the jury was discharged because of a legal issue.
He had the option of a retrial but decided against it as he did not want to force his wife to give evidence again, his barrister said.
An allegation of assault by grabbing his wife's arm lies on file.
Sandra Jones, 59, was driving their Mercedes near Holywell, in Flintshire, when Jones, who was drunk, became angry.
He yanked at the steering wheel but she managed to wrestle it back and stopped the car safely outside a pub.
The incident was just one of many that Jones, of Alderley Edge, Cheshire, had subjected his wife to over the years.
She told the court she realised he had an alcohol problem within six months of them living together.
Jones would get drunk, shout at her, occasionally push or grab her and knock over furniture, she said.
His drinking was the reason he lost his job on Coronation Street, she said.
He played Weatherfield layabout Les for 10 years until 2007. When he lost the role, his family went into debt. They owed £100,000 and had to sell their £150,000 yacht.
Dominic D'Souza, in mitigation, said Jones was four weeks into a six-week residential stay at a rehabilitation clinic. Following that he would undergo 20 weeks of cognitive and behavioural therapy and monitoring.
D'Souza said: "He is, for the first time in 20 years, beginning to acknowledge his alcohol problems."He apologises, primarily to his wife, and he has now got some insight as to how inappropriate his behaviour was. He is determined to clean himself up and sort himself out."