Channel 5 documentary My Wife, My Abuser is now available to stream on Netflix, and it tells the harrowing story of the domestic abuse suffered by Richard Spencer at the hands of his wife Sheree.

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The two-part series charts the two decades across which Richard was subjected to repeated emotional and physical abuse, which was completely unknown to the outside world.

The couple lived a seemingly idyllic life in an affluent home in an east Yorkshire suburb with their three daughters, but nanny cam footage has since shown the scale of the abuse, leading to Sheree being jailed for four years at Hull Crown Court.

The documentary features interviews with Richard, who has decided to share his story in a bid to raise awareness about male victims of domestic abuse, as well as a combination of footage from the nanny cams, written testimonials, audio recordings and photographs.

Wondering what exactly happened to Sheree and where she is now? Read on for everything you need to know.

Who is Sheree Spencer?

Sheree had a senior job with HM Prison and Probation Service throughout her campaign of abuse against her husband.

Where is Sheree Spencer now?

Sheree was jailed for four years in March 2023. She is currently in prison near York.

What happened to Sheree Spencer?

Richard and Sheree Spencer appeared to be living an idyllic life in their affluent home in an east Yorkshire suburb with their three daughters.

But behind the scenes, Sheree subjected Richard to a horrific campaign of terror over 20 years, which included a range of physical and verbal abuse.

Richard Spencer on My Wife My Abuser
Richard Spencer in My Wife My Abuser. Channel 5/ YouTube.

Sheree reportedly spat at and punched Richard, left him with bruises and scratches that he covered up with make-up before going outside, and locked him in the house.

During one attack, she held a knife to his throat and, in another, she struck him with a wine bottle, which caused permanent injuries to his ear and elbow.

She also controlled Richard financially, forcing him to take out loans to pay for holidays and refusing to contribute to the bills, and threatened to make false allegations against him to the police if he spoke out about the abuse.

Sheree pleaded guilty to coercive and controlling behaviour and three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

She was jailed for four years at Hull Crown Court in March 2023. The offences that she was found guilty of took place between 2016 and 2021.

During the court hearing, judge Kate Rayfield said: "This is the worst case of controlling and coercive behaviour I have seen."

PC Adele Jenkinson of Humberside Police said: "I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Mr Spencer’s strength, courage and patience throughout the criminal investigation and hope that this custodial sentence gives him, his friends and family some closure so that they can move forward and look towards a happier future.

"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.

"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."

Meanwhile, speaking to media after Spencer was jailed, Richard said: "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."

He continued: "She remorselessly proclaimed that I deserved to be punished, and that it was a justifiable consequence of me disappointing her in some way."

How was Sheree Spencer caught?

Sheree sealed her own fate one night with a surprising phone call to one of Richard's friends claiming he was drunk and that she feared she was in danger.

When the friend came over, Richard came clean about the abuse Sheree was subjecting him to and showed the friend a video that been captured on one of the couple's nanny cams.

The friend then went to the police on Richard's behalf.

Richard previously explained they installed the nanny cams after the birth of their eldest daughter in 2015.

He said: "We had two — one in the playroom and one in the bedroom. They were there for reassurance, to keep an eye out because it’s a big house."

He continued: "It was on something like a 28-day roll, where if something new came in it would delete the old footage."

As well as these video clips, Richard also began to keep audio recordings and photographs of his wife’s abuse as it escalated.

Did Sheree and Richard Spencer have children?

Yes, as detailed above, the couple had three children.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain about the abuse he suffered at the hands of his wife back in March 2023, Richard said: "I wanted to protect my face so that I could still take the children to school."

He later praised the resilience shown by his children throughout the ordeal.

My Wife My Abuser: Captured on Camera is available to watch on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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Looking for something else to watch? Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what's on tonight. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

Molly MossTrends Writer

Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.

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