Man jailed after subjecting wife to years of abuse

A MAN who subjected his wife to years of domestic abuse was jailed yesterday.

- DAVID POWELL

Andrew Stockman verbally and physically abused his wife in what a judge branded "an appalling history of abuse".

She tried to leave him on a number of occasions, but Stockman would emotionally blackmail her to come back, threatening to kill himself and her. At one point she even sold the house, making herself homeless. They are now going through a divorce, Caernarfon Crown Court heard.

Stockman, 54, of Llay Place Avenue, Llay, Wrexham, admitted engaging in controlling coercive behaviour in an intimate family relationship.

Prosecuting, Richard Edwards said they had been married for more than 30 years and had two adult sons. They started seeing each other when she was 16.

Most of the incidents happened when he was under the influence of alcohol, and physical abuse would happen "every month".

During the last four years together they bought a B&B, which they ran, and she said the physical abuse seemed to stop, but the mental and verbal abuse continued.

Things came to a head when they went to Spain over Christmas in 2024, Mr Edwards said. A woman Ms Stockman was looking after died; she had told Stockman the woman was ill, but he wouldn't let her fly home to see her.