A MUM-of-three grinned as she was jailed for a 20-year campaign of abuse against her husband.
Heavy-drinking Sheree Spencer punched, kicked, slapped, bit and ragged her husband around during persistent "nasty" attacks that left him fearing for his life, a court heard.
Spencer, 45, viciously hit him with a wine bottle, leaving him disfigured with a "cauliflower ear" and a chipped elbow.
The mum was sometimes drinking three bottles of wine a day during the appalling "catalogue" of abuse, Hull Crown Court heard.
Spencer admitted coercive and controlling behaviour between January 2016 and June 2021 and three offences of assaulting her husband, causing actual bodily harm, between January and April 2020.
The Crown Court heard how the couple had been together since 2000 and lived in Bubwith, near Selby, Yorkshire, at the time.
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Spencer's violent behaviour towards her husband came to light after cops were alerted because of concerns.
One savage incident saw Spencer spit at her husband and grab him by the throat, causing him breathing difficulties.
The husband handed over 43 photographs of injuries, 36 video clips and nine mobile phone recordings to the police.
Her behaviour changed when they were living in London and she pushed and slapped him before hitting him on the back of the head with a wine glass, resulting in an injury that required stitches.
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Spencer regularly assaulted and verbally abused her husband as well as damaging his property, including laptops, phones, clothes and household items.
A neighbour heard abusive language regularly being used by Spencer towards him including: "You're not a f***ing man. I want you out of my life."
In one incident, she damaged a tyre on his car using a kitchen knife. She then lunged at him with the blade, leaving a 2cm cut below his knee.
Spencer's "unpredictable and threatening" behaviour caused her husband to become estranged from his family, the court heard.
'TRAPPED'
In a statement that he read to the court, Spencer's husband said that he had suffered 20 years of physical and mental abuse that was damaging.
He feared that he would never fully recover from the abuse and he felt that he had to hide it from friends and family.
Out of fear, he complied with her demands and she controlled all aspects of his daily life, including which room he could sleep in and which toilet he could use.
The frightened husband added that he felt "trapped" and he "feared the consequences of speaking out" and became "increasingly hardened" to the abuse, including kicking and punching.
Spencer's husband said that, after she was arrested, the problems continued during Family Court hearings through her claiming that she was the victim and by using character assassination against him.
The husband added: "She threatened to make false allegations to me to the police.
"I have had to seek help from my GP on several occasions."
It's a shocking, distressing case. Alcohol played the most significant part in what happened."
Defence barrister Richard Pratt KC said that there was "little if anything" that could be said in mitigation.
Mr Pratt KC said: "It's a shocking, distressing case. Alcohol played the most significant part in what happened."
The mixture of alcohol and prescription medication caused Spencer to behave in a way that "appalled" her.
The court heard she had an "excellent work record" with her job with the Ministry of Justice, but had a previous conviction for affray.
Accepting that she had caused great pain and humiliation to her husband, Spencer was given an indefinite restraining order but grinned as she left the dock to be taken down to the cells.
Judge Kate Rayfield said that Spencer had a "short temper" and was controlling and coercive to her "vulnerable" husband, who was the victim of her outbursts for many years.
Two hours of recorded incidents had been compiled and the judge said it could not be "overstated how shocking" it was.
'PERSISTENT, NASTY ABUSE'
The filmed or recorded incidents revealed "persistent, nasty physical and emotional abuse" on a frequent basis, sometimes several times in a day.
Spencer threatened and assaulted her husband and he "cowered sometimes on his hands and knees on the floor".
Undeterred, Spencer continued to assault him by spitting, punching him, grabbing his hair, ragging him around, slapping him, kicking and biting him as well as threatening to take his head off, rip his heart out and break his teeth.
Spencer showed "utter contempt for him" and sometimes "whispered in his face in the most sinister way" as well as shouting orders at him.
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The court also heard how she had been drinking up to three bottles of wine a day.
Judge Rayfield said: "You have caused him significant psychological harm. There is a history of violence and abuse against the same victim."
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
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