Netflix viewers have been captivated by the chilling series My Wife, My Abuser. The documentary narrates the tale of Richard Spencer, a man who endured two decades of terror at the hands of his wife, Sheree Spencer.
On the surface, Richard seemed to lead an idyllic life in a Yorkshire suburb with his wife and three daughters. However, behind closed doors, Sheree subjected him to various forms of physical and verbal abuse for more than 20 years.
Her actions only came to light when they were captured on nanny cameras installed in their home. The series, originally aired on Channel 5, includes distressing footage of her assaults on Richard.
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It also compiles written testimonials, audio recordings, and photographs to illustrate the abuse he experienced. Richard chose to share his story to highlight the plight of male victims of domestic abuse.
Throughout her reign of terror, Sheree held a senior position with HM Prison and Probation Service. She allegedly spat at and punched Richard, leaving him with bruises and scratches that he concealed with makeup before venturing outside, reports the Mirror.
In one incident, Sheree held a knife to Richard's throat, and in another, he sustained permanent ear and elbow injuries after she hit him with a wine bottle. Richard was financially controlled and coerced into taking out loans.
Richard's harrowing experience of domestic abuse, orchestrated by his wife Sheree, took a turning point when one fateful night she dialed up a pal of Richard's, alleging he was plastered and she was in peril. The mate trotted over and Richard spilled the beans on the torment, backing it up with footage from one of the nanny cams.
Bolstered by the evidence, the friend marched to the fuzz. Richard, who had fitted the cams post the birth of their first daughter back in 2015, also hoarded audio recordings and snaps of Sheree's shocking behaviour.
Sheree pleaded guilty to coercive and controlling actions plus three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Her fate was sealed with a four-year stretch inside at Hull Crown Court this March 2023, for crimes dating from 2016 to 2021, and she's now banged up near York.
Judge Kate Rayfield didn't mince her words: "This is the worst case of controlling and coercive behaviour I have seen."
Speaking out, Richard confessed: "I have become resigned to the fact that I will never fully recover from her abuse and that it will have a permanent damaging impact on mine and my family's life.
"Sheree's abuse towards me evolved and escalated over time, she used repeated acts of physical assault, threats, verbal abuse, and humiliation to punish and exercise control over me. The abuse was hidden from the outside world, including friends and family.
"Sheree manipulated me into believing that I was a responsible and willing participant in the abuse. She remorselessly proclaimed that I deserved to be punished, and that it was a justifiable consequence of me disappointing her in some way."
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