My wife forced me to lie when they asked about my injuries, she was the culprit

“During an instance, she would open a window and shout ‘Stop it, Richard, you’re hurting me.’ In my mind, I didn’t know if people did think it was me that was the abuser.” Warning: This article contains graphic imagery and confronting themes.  

Warning: This article contains graphic imagery and confronting themes. 

It seemed like the perfect relationship; Sheree and Richard were the ultimate couple. 

The duo first met in a nightclub 24 years ago and married nine years later, welcoming three children to the world and building a bright future together. 

They owned a luxury car, lived in a seven-bedroom house, earned a great wage and seemingly had a perfect life. 

But the reality was much closer to a living nightmare. 

RELATED: Domestic violence victims forced to live in violent homes due to rental crisis

Sheree and Richard seemingly had the perfect relationship. Picture: Channel 5

Husband secretly records wife’s horrific assault for years

Richard, a 46-year-old from East Yorkshire in the UK, was first exposed to his wife’s abuse in 2016.

The British father was the subject of a new documentary that highlighted the impact of domestic abuse across the UK, My Wife, My Abuser: The Secret Footage.

Over the span of their relationship, Sheree berated her husband daily, kicking and punching his body, cracking eggs on his head to the point of producing blood and spitting in his face.

According to Richard, she would also frequently throw things at him, usually whatever was in her hand at the time, be it a TV remote, a mobile phone or a wine bottle. 

Introducing our new podcast: Mum Club! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode.

Her abuse was so extreme that one outburst resulted in his left ear becoming permanently disfigured. 

She also took her abuse outside the house, reportedly urinating in his car and doing a poo on the floor, forcing him to clean it up. Any and all bruises and cuts were hidden with makeup in an attempt to conceal the truth, he confessed. 

It wasn’t just physical abuse, either; she was also coercing him into financial abuse, he claimed, forcing him to take out loans to pay for holidays and refusing to pay any bills in an effort to “punish” the man, and leaving him drowning in debt. 

All the while, this horrific abuse went unnoticed by their loved ones, completely unaware that Richard was the victim of domestic violence. 

And if anyone asked about it, he was forced to lie. 

RELATED: 'My ex was waiting at home, so we hid in a car park & waited for the cops'

Richard was subjected to years of vile abuse. Picture: Channel 5

RELATED: 'He used to lock me in the cupboard every time I tried to leave - it broke me'

But as the terror continued, Richard began to fear the pain would soon be inflicted on their children, and in an effort to get her to cease, he used nanny cameras around the house to catch her in the act. 

The violence continued, leaving Richard feeling alone and extremely vulnerable. 

As time passed, he showed footage of the abuse to a close friend, who was devastated by the news and immediately informed police.

Shocking footage of the abuse was aired on the Channel 5 documentary, including the moment police first witnessed the crimes. 

According to Richard, when asked about his injuries by friends and family, Sheree would make him lie.

“She would tell police that I was the abuser,” Richard told BBC Breakfast on Monday. “During an instance, she would open a window and shout ‘Stop it, Richard, you’re hurting me.’ In my mind, I didn’t know if people did think it was me that was the abuser.” 

She offered more excuses when police knocked on their door in 2021, arguing she was the victim of his drunken threats and abuse.

RELATED: 'I grew up witnessing domestic violence before I knew it was a crime'

Sheree would reportedly tell police that she was the victim. Picture: Channel 5

Judge rules woman’s abuse as the “worst case … I have seen”

Her attempt at arguing self-defence was quashed when footage showed her holding a knife to Richard’s neck.

According to police, she told them: “I wanted to give him it because he had threatened me, wanted to kill me. He'd rather kill me than divorce me. I reached for the knife because if he wants to kill me, just do it.” 

These excuses were quickly unravelled when 36 videos of footage, nine audio recordings and 43 photographs of the abuse were handed to police, documented over the years by Richard.

The day after police visited the Yorkshire home in 2021 following reports of domestic violence, Sheree was arrested and charged on suspicion of common assault. 

Two years later, in May 2023, Sheree was sentenced to four years in prison.

According to the court judge Kate Rayfield, it was “the worst case of coercive and controlling behaviour I have seen.” 

According to reports from The Sun, Humberside Police Constable Adele Jenkinson said: “Sheree Spencer is an abusive and violent woman who subjected her husband to years of abuse.” 

“The offences were committed over a prolonged period of time and were regular, with several being carried out in a single day,” she continued. 

“I hope this outcome demonstrates to anyone affected by domestic abuse and violence that, no matter who you are, we will listen, support and take positive action to deliver justice.” 

RELATED: Pregnant women in Australia facing higher rates of domestic violence and abuse

Nanny cameras were set up and caught Sheree in the act. Picture: Channel 5

One in 16 men are subjected to domestic violence in Australia

There has been a disturbing increase in domestic violence reports in Australia over the last two years. 

Since 2011, there has been a steady increase in sexual assault reports, with one in six women experiencing physical or sexual abuse by a current or former partner.  

In an equally distressing trend, one in 16 men in Australia are victims of domestic violence by a current or former partner, with 25 per cent of reported domestic violence perpetrated by a woman, according to a report from Mission Australia. 

Between 2021 and 2022, an estimated 3.6 million Australians had experienced emotional abuse by a partner since the age of 15.

Richard’s brave move to come forward about the abuse he was subjected to aims to encourage other men to come forward about abuse in the home. 

“The reasons for making the documentary are hopefully to have a positive impact on other people who could be going through something similar,” he said.

Originally published as My wife forced me to lie when they asked about my injuries, she was the culprit