The husband of a former model who starred in Britain’s first TV commercial has been jailed for eight years yesterday after he tried to kill her when his failing business left them facing financial ruin.

Pensions advisor Peter Nunn, 63, planned to smother wife Joan, 80, as she slept before taking his own life by slitting his wrists at their home in Wells.

But Mrs Nunn – who appeared in the ground-breaking ad for Gibbs SR toothpaste in 1955 – awoke to find him holding a pillow over her face and fought him off.

Hours later, Nunn phoned his GP and admitted he planned to murder his wife of 33 years and slash his wrists.

Outwardly, he was a respected pillar of the community and told friends and family he had a decorated history in the military, where he served as a special forces spy. But behind the scenes his ailing pensions business was crumbling and the couple were living a lifestyle far beyond their means.

After Nunn’s arrest, it transpired he had never served in the army and his marriage had been built on a lie.

He was due to stand trial for attempted murder at Bristol Crown Court earlier this month but changed his plea to guilty at the last minute.

Sentencing Nunn to eight years in prison yesterday at Bristol Crown Court, Judge Jamie Tabor QC said that he had lied to ‘‘impress the woman he loved”.

He said: ‘‘You were financially inept and the money started slipping away and the lie that you lived increased. I don’t believe that the lie was conceived out of malice.

‘‘You were continually trying to impress the woman that you loved. She described you as a knight on a white charger and sadly you were anything but that.

‘‘The aggravating features are these – she was 80. She was a very mature woman and you’ve caused her serious psychological harm.

‘‘This was a most serious abuse of trust, that the man she had lain beside for 32 years suddenly got out of bed and did what he did.”

Judge Tabor also imposed a restraining order on Nunn, which bans him from contacting or visiting his wife for the rest of his life.

Former barrister Nunn married glamorous ex-model Joan – nee Smith – in 1976.

Mrs Nunn, who is known to friends by her middle name of Margaret, went by the professional name Meg and shot to stardom after the Gibbs SR toothpaste ad was screened at 9.01pm on September 22, 1955.

She was also photographed by David Bailey and appeared in an array of top fashion magazines such as Vanity Fair and Vogue in her career.

The highly respected couple were well known in their home town of Wookey, where Peter was a prominent figure with Wells Rotary Club. He was also an accomplished chef and competed in several competitions, reaching the final of the South West Chef of the Year.

But in May last year, his pensions business was facing financial meltdown, which left the couple ‘‘living a lifestyle beyond their means” and more than £45,000 in debt.

Unable to face the humiliation of failure, Nunn attempted to smother Joan on May 27 last year. However, she woke up and fought him off.

James Patrick, prosecuting, told how Joan “summoned superhuman strength” to stop Nunn smothering her and save her own life.

He added: “What was clear was that by the middle of June, Mr Nunn, and, without knowing, Mrs Nunn, were in debt to the tune of over £45,000, with no prospect of having any of that money repaid.

“She’s only now realised the amount of debt that exists. The person she knew no longer exists. She’s changed from a bubbly person into someone who avoids talking to people when she can.

“She now lives in a one bedroom flat on benefits. She suffers panic attacks and nightmares. She wants never to see Mr Nunn again.”

Nunn, who had not told his wife that their house was due to be repossessed, called his local GP and admitted he had tried to kill his wife and intended to kill himself.

He denied murder and gave “no comment” interviews with police and has not spoken to his wife since the attack.

It later transpired that Nunn was a fantasist who had convinced friends and family – including his wife – that he had served as a spy in the special forces.

Since his arrest, he has been treated by a mental health team in Dorchester Prison.

Ian Pringle, defending, revealed Nunn had spoken of the “torment” of living a lie and keeping his debts hidden.

Nunn told him: “I can’t describe to you the sheer torment of juggling all the balls in the air while at the same time hiding from someone else because of your depth of feelings for that person.”