HE THREATENED TO KILL US BOTH

Wendy Turner-Webster, 58, thanks her Bordie Collie, Rupert, for helping her to escape from her abusive husband

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Walking into our local radio station, I felt so excited. It was October 1984 and my sister, Anthea Turner, then 24, was just starting out with her media career. Just 17, I was dazzled by it all, but I had my own passions. As a huge animal lover, I advocated for animal rights, and today, Anthea was joining me to go to a meeting about homeless cats. But as I approached Anthea's desk, I could see she was busy.

'David will go with you,' she said apologetically, introducing me to her colleague. A manager at the station, David Donahue was tall, dark and, at 32, far too old for me, but I was instantly attracted to him and he told me he was passionate about animal rights, too.

'Do you fancy going for a drink?' he asked afterwards. There was clearly a connection between us, but I worried Anthea and my parents, Jean, then 54, and Brian, 51, wouldn't approve, so for the next month, we met in secret.

When David finally kissed me, that November, I came clean.

'He's too old for you,' Anthea warned, but I was too besotted to listen.

From then on, I spent so much time at David's, I'd practically moved in. He was always buying me gifts, but as our relationship became more intimate, I felt like I wasn't good enough.

'Why can't you look more like the girls in the magazines,' David scoffed, referring to his stash of pornography. Young and vulnerable, I didn't know how to react. When David said I was nothing without him, I believed him, so when he proposed in February 1986, I said yes, and my parents gave their blessing, charmed by their future son-in-law.