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A judge has refused to allow a husband and wife to get back together even though they both want to. Natalie Nash, 23, applied to Gloucester Crown Court today to lift a seven year restraining order on her husband Daniel, 24. The order was imposed in November 2010 after Nash admitted charges of common assault on his wife, harassment, affray, and threatening to damage property. Despite Mrs Nash giving evidence that she wanted her husband back, Judge Jamie Tabor QC declined. He told the couple he would relax the order by allowing them to communicate with each other by phone, text or other electronic means but not to meet face-to-face. They could talk to each other that way until April next year when he would reconsider the application, he said. Before making his decision the judge heard Mrs Nash say on oath from the witness box that she believed her husband had �learnt his lesson� and would not hit her any more. The judge said: �It is a difficult task for a judge to stand between a man and wife. They are joined together in wedlock and they want, apparently, to get back together again. �For a judge to stand between them is, frankly, uncomfortable. But I have responsibilities towards her to ensure she is protected and not hurt in the future. �If on April 1st next year their ardour remains and they still wish to resume their relationship it will entertain the application again. �In short, softly, softly, gently, gently, step by step. If she tells me next year �I have now talked to him regularly and I am comfortable he understands he has got to behave� then I will lift the restraining order further.�