Don McLean’s wife files restraining order following claims of domestic violence

The singer’s lawyer said Mr McLean committed “zero' criminal activity and he will plead not guilty

Don McLean allegedly "terrorised" his wife for four hours (Rex Features)

Singer Don McLean has been issued a restraining order against him for an alleged four hours spent “terrorizing” his wife in an incident of domestic violence.

Mr McLean was arrested on Monday night and posted $10,000 bail at the Knox County jail.

Mr McLean issued a statement on Thursday on Twitter and on his website to say that he might “never recover” from the “painful breakdown of an almost 30-year relationship”.

“Our hearts are broken and we must carry on. There are no winners or losers but I am not a villain,” he wrote.

Mr McLean said he hoped to continue to “entertain” as he “always has”.

“I ask God to give us the strength to find new happiness and I hope people will realize that this will all be resolved but I hope I will not be judged in this frantic media environment.”

The day after his arrest, his wife Patricia McLean secured a temporary protection from abuse order from Rockland District Court. The order prohibits her husband from contacting her, as reported by the Portland Press Herald.

Her statement read that her husband “terrorized me for four hours until the 911 call that I think might have saved my life”.

She described his abusive behaviour for many years during their 30-year marriage, including squeezing her limbs so hard that they bruised. In 1994, he held her head so tightly that she felt like she was “in a vice”.

Despite his rage apparently subsiding over the years, his alleged attack on 17 January scared his wife.

Mr McLean allegedly said he wanted to “strangle her so bad” and tried to knock the bathroom door down where Mrs McLean was hiding.

After her statement went public she rang the Portland Press Herald and said: “I was blindsided by this report being made public. Don is not a monster.”

The 70-year-old singer shot to fame in the 1970s after recording the enduring hit “American Pie”.

His defense lawyer Walter McKee said his client will be pleading not guilty to the criminal charge.

“Don was arrested based on his wife’s allegations alone. There are two sides to the story here and at the right time Don’s side will be told,” McKee said. “Suffice to say he will make clear that he engaged in zero criminal behavior this past weekend.”

A hearing is scheduled for her complaint on 28 January at the Rockland District Court.