Charles Hanson claims his ‘controlling’ wife left him ‘a beaten and broken man’

TV auctioneer Charles Hanson has claimed he was “almost a slave” to his wife, who left him “a beaten and broken man” by controlling him and making him subservient to her.

The 46-year-old Bargain Hunt and Antiques Road Trip star told Derby Crown Court his wife Rebecca Hanson was allowed “to do what she wanted” but would not let him watch TV in bed, and falsely accused him of having athlete’s foot.

His trial has heard that he is accused of using violence towards Mrs Hanson over a 10-year period, including pushing, scratching and grabbing her.

Hanson, of Ashbourne Road in Mackworth, Derby, denies controlling or coercive behaviour, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and assault by beating, charges brought after he was arrested in June 2023.

During his second day of evidence to the court, Hanson denied trying to portray his wife as being mentally ill – saying she experienced “moments and episodes” including an incident in which she claimed his legs being crossed amounted to abuse.

Under cross-examination from prosecutor Stephen Kemp on Monday, Hanson told jurors he had a stammer as a young boy and that he is “actually a very nervous man” whose “facade” might suggest he is more confident than he really is.

Questioned as to why he sent messages to his wife, including one conceding he had a bad temper, Hanson claimed he had “literally tapped every word she wanted to hear” about “lost temper, anger management and ‘completely my fault'”.

Asserting that the messages were “not the truth” but instead an attempt to tell his wife what she wanted to hear, Hanson told the court: “I was under the control of Rebecca. She completely ridiculed me, told me that I was rubbish every day.

“I just felt almost a slave to her and I had no option, Mr Kemp, but just almost in a way to adopt what she was saying and to appease her.

“And I tried it over and over. And I, in a way, was a coward. I was subservient under her – just controlled by her.

“It was my life and it was awful. My marriage was just falling apart and I would do almost anything to try and save it.

“I know it sounds awful but I was a beaten and broken man.

“Speaking here now, I think why didn’t I stand up. I just stayed because as a child my family’s belief was you don’t get divorced in life.”

Hanson also used his evidence from the witness box to tell the jury he wanted his wife to “feel the riches of life” in her own career.

Pressed as to whether he was a man who liked to get his own way, Hanson told Mr Kemp he liked to get his own way when it came to building a business but would “always allow my wife to do what she wanted”.

Telling the court that his wife had claimed the way he was talking or having his legs crossed amounted to abuse, Hanson said: “I would say, love what are you talking about? I would never get my own way – I was never allowed to watch television in bed.”

Mrs Hanson, a trained radiographer, was described by the defendant as a wonderful actress with a Derby-based acting society, but also as someone who was “anxious over many things in life”.

Invited to give his view as to whether his wife had ever been delusional, Hanson continued: “I think, Mr Kemp, to be honest with you, there has been moments and episodes.”

As well as accusing him of abuse, Hanson said, his wife had turned away from him at night and said “just go to sleep”.

“My wife would never, ever give me a hug goodnight. She would say most nights ‘you have got athlete’s foot, don’t come near me’. I have never had athlete’s foot,” Hanson added.

The court heard the auctioneer told police in interviews that his wife was a fantasist and had “mentally gone slightly awol”.

He also wrote a letter to the dedicated officer for the investigation in August 2023, saying he had serious doubts about his wife’s reliability and credibility and “concerns as to her mental health”.

Hanson’s letter, the court heard, added: “Criminal proceedings involving cross-examination could be very harmful to her mental health.

“In the light of the above I kindly ask Derbyshire Police to cease their investigation.”

Mr Kemp suggested to Hanson that he had attempted to portray his wife to the police as mentally ill to persuade them not to take her allegations seriously.

Hanson responded: “There were two occasions where it felt crazed. I was trying to explain to the police that my wife would have these moments in our marriage, which have very much resulted in why we are here today.”

At the time of the letter to police, Hanson said, he had taken legal advice and was “two months into having been arrested at my home for an alleged domestic incident which never happened”.

Hanson added: “I was at the mercy of my wife’s behaviour, I was at the mercy of my wife’s controlling demeanour – of every day telling me I needed anger management if I ever raised my voice. I was under her control.

“There was never an attempted strangulation, let alone a headlock.”

Asked by Mr Kemp if his position was that his wife had lied to the police and “came to the court to lie”, Hanson told the court: “It’s a very difficult question to answer but, yes, there are numerous lies in my wife’s statements.”

Hanson, who will continue his evidence on Tuesday, said his wife “can be a fantasist” and “dream up crazy suggestions which are far from the truth”.

An alleged incident in 2012 was a “consoling hug” which took place near a piano at their home, Hanson said, telling jurors: “I never ever, ever put my wife in a headlock.”