A husband who treated his diabetic wife as ‘a sla

A husband who treated his diabetic wife as ‘a slave’
during years of violence and sexual abuse, the Old Bailey
heard.

The 44-year-old man would drag the mother to their
garage, beat and rape her, then lock her in overnight, the jury
was told.

And he would only let her out the next morning so she
could make his breakfast, claimed prosecutor Miss Mary-Jane
Mowat.

‘She was expected to do all the domestic chores, wait on
him hand and foot and hold down a responsible professional job.

‘She was, on her own account, treated like a slave and
criticised repeatedly.

‘
The 40-year-old woman suffered diabetic attacks when
she went without food in the garage, but her husband allegedly
ignored her plight, said Miss Mowat.

Counsel claimed that the appalling behaviour was ‘a kind
of perpetuated torture.

‘
The husband – ‘a strong believer in the woman’s
place’ – started handing out the beatings at their home in
Shirley, Croydon, during the the mid 1980s, the court heard.

But his wife kept quiet because she was frightened
of her husband and did not want the family to split up, it
was alleged.

In November 1990 she plucked up the courage to go to the
Croydon Domestic Violence unit where injuries to her face and
side were noted.

The police wrote to her about the incident but her husband
opened the letter and was ‘furious,’ said counsel.

That night he exacted a terrible revenge, beating her to
the floor of the living room and raping her there, the jury
heard.

The woman had her injuries treated by a doctor but was too
terrified to press charges.

‘There were more assaults and more rapes in the living
room,’ said Miss Mowat.

‘Then, for fear of neighbours hearing, the defendant
started the practice of taking his wife to the garage in the
night beating her, and sometimes forcing her to have sex there to
show he was boss.

‘He took to leaving her in the garage all night and only
letting her out in time to make his breakfast.

‘
The husband allegedly showed ‘no sympathy’ when his wife
had a diabetic attack, brought on by a lack of food.

On one occasion when she returned from taking her
daughter to a Brownie night, her husband dragged her to the
garage and beat her until she was dizzy, the court heard.

He then raped her on the garage floor and locked her in,
said Miss Mowat.

After a row over the tea table a few weeks later she was
again taken to the garage and again beaten and raped, it was
alleged.

This time the husband punched her in the pubic area, the
court was told.

Later during an argument at breakfast he allegedly punched
her on the ear and stomach.

She felt an attack coming on and telephoned the hospital.

When the doctor arrived he found the woman ‘semi-conscious.

‘
On another occasion the husband dragged her from her bed in
the middle of the night to make her clean up their cat’s litter
tray.

‘He took her out to the garage in her nightdress and hit
her with a garden implement she thought was a spade.

‘That night he left her in the garage all night, letting
her out when it was light.

‘
The woman underwent another diabetic attack after the
ordeal and was persuaded to make a statement to the police by
her doctor.

When arrested her husband claimed they had not had sex with
his wife in any circumstances for 14 years and he denied ever
raising a hand to her.

The husband, who holds a senior position in a top company,
denies four counts of rape, seven of causing actual bodily harm
and two of false imprisoment between November 1990 and January
13 1992.

The trial continues.

ENDS
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