Yorkshire dad bravely opens up about wife Sheree Spencer’s vile …
A man who suffered horrific abuse at the hands of his wife said he would curl up into a foetal position to protect his face so he could still take his kids to school.
Richard Spencer[1] endured two decades of being assaulted, taunted, threatened and humiliated by his wife Sheree. Earlier this month, the 46-year-old of Beals Close, Market Weighton[2], was jailed for four years with a judge describing the relationship as “the worst case of coercive and controlling behaviour” she’d ever seen.
During the two-decade long campaign of terror, Spencer physically and verbally abused her husband on a daily basis. On one occasion, the former prison reform chief beat her husband so viciously with a wine bottle, she permanently damaged his ear.
Spencer, a heavy drinker, who would sometimes have three bottles of wine a day[4], also threatened Richard with a knife and would claim it was her husband who was the abuser by opening a window and shouting “Richard, stop hitting me”. Speaking on Good Morning Britain[5] today, March 28, the dad-of-three explained how the abuse got progressively worse.
He told presenters Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid: “It’s such a complex situation, it’s hard to put into a few words. One of the key thing to get across is how incremental it was.
Sheree Spencer has been jailed (Image: Hull Live)
“So it started of with minor things like pushing and slapping and quite abusive shouting. But those things were the sort of things that were normalised, things that you would see every day.”
He added: “And over time it got worse and worse but then she was always really apologetic, she would say how sorry she was the next day and would write notes saying that we were soulmates.”
When police started to investigate the case, Richard handed over dozens of images and video clips that showed the extent of Spencer’s abuse. Richard, who lived near Selby[6] with his family at the time, said without the amount of evidence, it would have probably been harder to convict her.
Richard and Sheree Spencer met in a nightclub in their 20s (Image: ITV)
During the attacks, Richard said he would mainly think about his three children, who are aged seven, five and three. He would also often curl up into the fetal position on the floor to protect his face from his wife’s violent onslaught.
He said: “I would get into that position because I wanted to protect my face so I could still take the children to school. That was the main thing that was going on in my mind.”
Spencer was sentenced to four years in prison and given an indefinite restraining order at Hull Crown Court[7] earlier this month. As she left the dock to be taken down to the cells, she grinned.
Signs of domestic abuse and where to get help
Anyone can be a victim of domestic abuse, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, sexuality or background. If you believe that you are a victim of domestic abuse, there are signs that you can look out for including:
- being withdrawn, or being isolated from your family and friends
- having bruises, burns or bite marks on you
- having your finances controlled, or not being given enough to buy food, medication or pay bills
- not being allowed to leave your house, or stopped from going to college or work
- having your internet or social media use monitored, or someone else reading your texts, emails or letters
- being repeatedly belittled, put down or told you are worthless
- being pressured into sex or sexual contact
- being told that abuse is your fault, or that you’re overreacting
Anyone in immediate danger, should call 999 and ask for the police. If you can’t speak and are calling on a mobile press 55 to have your call transferred to the police.
You can contact the Refuge’s National Domestic Abuse Helpline for free and 24 hours a day on 0808 2000 247 or via their online live chat here[8]. Or the Men’s Advice Line run by Respect on 0808 801 0327 and Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111 or via their live chat[9].
Women’s Aid also have a directory of domestic abuse support services across the UK here[10].
References
- ^ Richard Spencer (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Market Weighton (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Sir David Jason meets daughter he didn’t know existed after 52 years (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ who would sometimes have three bottles of wine a day (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Good Morning Britain (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Selby (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Hull Crown Court (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ here (www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk)
- ^ their live chat (www.victimsupport.org.uk)
- ^ here (www.womensaid.org.uk)
References
- ^ Richard Spencer (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Market Weighton (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Sir David Jason meets daughter he didn’t know existed after 52 years (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ who would sometimes have three bottles of wine a day (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Good Morning Britain (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Selby (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Hull Crown Court (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ here (www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk)
- ^ their live chat (www.victimsupport.org.uk)
- ^ here (www.womensaid.org.uk)
References
- ^ Richard Spencer (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Market Weighton (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Sir David Jason meets daughter he didn’t know existed after 52 years (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ who would sometimes have three bottles of wine a day (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Good Morning Britain (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Selby (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ Hull Crown Court (www.examinerlive.co.uk)
- ^ here (www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk)
- ^ their live chat (www.victimsupport.org.uk)
- ^ here (www.womensaid.org.uk)