A Mormon dad-of-seven, who lunged at a police sergeant with a kitchen knife and had to be subdued with CS gas, has narrowly avoided a prison sentence.

But Malcolm Morgan, 42, was warned at Isleworth Crown Court on Monday by Judge Richard McGregor-Johnson that if he committed a further offence he would be sent to prison.

Police were called to the home of Morgan, in Orchard Road, Feltham, on July 15 last year after an anonymous call saying his wife had been beaten up - prosecutor David Smith told the court at an earlier hearing.

"They found his pregnant wife with dried blood in her hair and her face swollen and bruised," he said.

"The defendant was asleep and, when woken by officers, he lunged at one of them.

"He was arrested and handcuffed for the assault on his wife.

"He then asked to fetch his belongings and reached behind a curtain pulling out a kitchen knife."

He was told to drop the knife by Sergeant Gavin Coleman but instead "lunged at the officer saying Do you want some?'"

The officers fled but returned with CS gas spray with which they used to subdue Morgan.

Morgan denied charges of causing his wife actual bodily harm and affray and of threatening police.

His wife declined to give evidence and that charge was dropped, but a jury found him guilty of affray.

He claimed he had not threatened anyone but merely picked up some belongings.

His counsel, Florida Sakr, said he was a "devoted family man" and the sole breadwinner, and sending him to jail would devastate" the family.

Judge McGregor-Johnson agreed to suspend a nine-month prison sentence for two years with 18 months' supervision and 200 hours' unpaid work and ordered him to pay £500 costs.