<div><p>A man who strangled his wife in his sleep because he dreamt she was an intruder was freed on Friday, after prosecutors withdrew the case against him.</p><p>Brian Thomas, who suffers from a sleep disorder, admitted killing his wife Christine while they spent a night in camper van in west Wales in July last year, Swansea Crown court was told.</p><p>The 59-year-old, who has two grown-up daughters with his 57-year-old wife, had faced being sent to a psychiatric hospital as prosecutors sought a special verdict of not guilty due to insanity.</p><p>But on Friday prosecutors said they were no longer seeking that verdict, allowing him to walk free after being in custody since January.</p><p>"We are no longer seeking a special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity," said prosecutor Paul Thomas. "It is clear .. that no useful purpose would be served by Mr. Thomas being detained in a psychiatric hospital."</p><p>The court heard the couple had stopped for the night in a car park, but their sleep was disturbed by young men who gathered there with their cars, revving their engines and screeching their tyres.</p><p>So Thomas decided to move the van to another car park. But at 3.49 am the following morning he called police to say he thought he had killed his wife.</p><p>He said he had been dreaming that he was fighting with the "boy racers" who had disturbed the couple earlier that night. He thought he had put one of them in a headlock, but when he woke up he realised it was Christine.</p><p>Releasing him from custody, the judge told Thomas that he bore no responsibility for what he had done, describing him as a "decent man and devoted husband".</p><p>His brother Raymond voiced relief. "Family and friends are truly delighted by the outcome today. They were a loving couple and always like that together. He has always been a loving husband and a family man.</p><p>"This was a tragic, tragic episode and we are all very emotional," he added.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=63855205&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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