Hubby Doused Me in Petrol

Finally broke away from controlling man

Covered in petrol, to be set alight

Lucky not to be burned alive

- Cher Heasmer / Amy Jones

Unlocking the front door, I stepped inside and froze.

The place looked different. Furniture had been switched around, ornaments moved, chairs dragged to different positions...

‘Not again,’ I sighed, annoyed.

This was my husband George’s doing.

‘You’ve been gone ages!’ he raged.

‘I’m sorry,’ I replied. ‘There was a queue at the supermarket.’

I’d only been gone half an hour, but George wasn’t happy about it.

He didn’t like me going out without him. And on the rare occasions I did, he’d time me.

If I was too long, he’d make a huge mess of the house and change things around.

In a ridiculous way, he thought it’d make me hurry back.

Stupidly, it worked.

Whenever I went out, I fretted that George would be at home punishing me by causing havoc.

George and I had been married years, and had two grown-up daughters together.

When we’d first met, I was 18, and I’d quickly fallen for his gentlemanly charm.

But after we’d tied the knot, things had changed overnight.

George became possessive and controlling.

He’d tell me who to be friends with, what I could and couldn’t wear.

If I tried to argue, he’d fly off the handle.

‘You’re too friendly with people,’ George would comment.

He convinced me that I was too trusting, that he was protecting me for my own good.