EXCLUSIVE Jail reform boss locked up for 20-year campaign of violence against her husband is moved to an open prison

• Sheree Spencer, 45, jailed for four years for torture of husband Richard 
• Judge described it as ‘the worst case of coercive control’ she had ever seen

A prison reform boss jailed for a 20 year campaign of violence against her husband has been moved to an open prison just five months into her sentence.

Sheree Spencer, 45, was locked up for four years by a judge who described her torture of husband Richard as ‘the worst case of coercive control’ she had ever seen.

So Mr Spencer was horrified when he discovered through emails from her solicitor that she’d been transferred out of high security HMP New Hall, West Yorks, in July to Askham Grange open prison near York.

The open prison has a garden centre and coffee shop, called The Grange, which inmates can work in – a far cry from the strict regime at New Hall.

In most circumstances prisoners are only transferred to open prisons at the end of their sentence to help them reintegrate into society and Mr Spencer believes her job in the prison service has earnt her preferential treatment over rank and file inmates.

Sheree Spencer, 45, (pictured left) beat and humiliated Richard, 46, (pictured right) throughout their relationship and was jailed for the worst case of controlling behaviour the judge had ever seen

Spencer, was jailed for four years for making her husband Richard’s life a living hell with daily beatings and verbal attacks

Pictured: Richard Spencer, who was subjected to abuse from his ex-wife Spencer

A furious Mr Spencer said he believes she received ‘favourable treatment’ because of her job and added:: ‘I feel my case offers very little hope to other victims of domestic abuse that the perpetrator will receive and serve a fair sentence.’

Spencer’s case brought a new focus on male victims of domestic violence in February after Hull Crown Court heard a horrifying catalogue of offences.

She made 46-year-old Richard’s life a living hell throughout their 20 year relationship with verbal attacks and beatings that sometimes left him curled on the floor in the foetal position to protect himself.

One one occasion she defecated on the floor and forced him to clean it up and on another she beat him with a wine bottle so badly it permanently disfigured his ear.

In furious tirades she would call him ‘tiny c***,’ ‘fat boy,’ ‘a pussy’ and ‘dumb dumb’ and caused bruises and scratches that he would need to cover with make-up before going outside.

For years he secretly recorded video and audio of his wife’s attacks on him and when police became involved he handed over 43 images of his bruised face, taken on different dates following assaults he had suffered.

Judge Kate Rayfield placed her offending among the very worst of its type and said her actions were ‘sinister.’

As she jailed her for four years she added: ‘By your actions you intended to humiliate or degrade Richard and you have caused him significant psychological harm.’

The first Mr Spencer knew that she’d been moved to an open jail – where inmates are free to leave and work in the community for part of their day – was when he received an email from her solicitors.

He told MailOnline: ‘ After finding out through my solicitor that Sheree has been moved to an open prison near to where my children and I live, I have very little faith left that justice will be served.

‘I feel completely let down by the prison service, and fail to understand how someone convicted of what the judge said was the worst case of coercive behaviour she had ever seen, could be moved to an open prison just 5 months into a 4 year sentence.

‘Taking a broader view, I feel my case offers very little hope to other victims of domestic abuse that the perpetrator will receive and serve a fair sentence.’

Despite being a heavy drinker and making the family home a place of fear, Spencer held down a high ranking job with HM Prison and Probation Service.

Prior to her being sentenced, Mr McCann (pictured left) offered his sister’s (pictured right) husband Richard, £100,000 to drop the prosecution case against her

Spencer was jailed on February 24 following proceedings at Hull Crown Court

Her reign of domestic terror finally ended in June 2021 when the police were called to their family home by a concerned welfare worker

She attended meetings at the highest level and boasted to pals that Boris Johnson was a personal friend.

At her sentencing hearing Richard Pratt, KC, said it was ‘almost impossible to recognise’ her professional persona as the same woman who subjected her husband to the ‘shocking and distressing’ attacks.

Mr Pratt said: ‘It is perhaps particularly ironic that one of the projects she had been working on has been dealing with the effects of custodial sentences on the family.

‘That is an irony but what is important and significant is that she continued to work and has an excellent work reputation and record.’

HMP Askham Grange in North Yorkshire, which is one of only two women’s open prisons in the whole of the country housing just 128 prisoners.

READ MORE: ‘There’s a stigma of not wanting to tell your friends that a lady could do that to you’: Husband beaten by his prison reform boss wife tells GMB he kept campaign of abuse secret for 20 years because it’s ‘hard’ for men to speak out

Inmates are usually only sent to the open prison to complete the last part of their sentence, staying only for a short time, having already served most of their sentence in other prisons.

As well as the garden centre, the prison has a conference centre, which is also staffed by inmates, a mother and baby unit and prisoner accommodation is in ‘dormitories’ rather than cells.

Spencer’s switch to open prison emerged on the day her brother came a step closer to being jailed for trying intimidate Richard Spencer into dropping his case against her.

Sean McCann, tried to bribe Mr Spencer to withdraw his statement against his sister offering him up to £100,000, and then threatened to ruin his life if his sister went to prison.

McCann was due to be sentenced on Thursday at Cannock magistrates court after he admitted witness intimidation.

However, after hearing the details of the offence and Mr Spencer’s victim personal statement – which he attended court to deliver, the magistrates decided their sentencing powers were no sufficient.

The case has now been sent to Stafford Crown Court for sentencing at a future date.

Mr Spencer said: ‘I’m pleased that the case against Sheree’s brother, Sean, is being treated seriously and has been moved to Crown Court.’

In his personal statement, he told magistrates: ‘When Sean spoke to me on the phone and warned me that he was going to spend every day and every penny he has, ruining my life if Sheree went to prison, I knew I had to take his threat seriously.

‘It was obvious from the phone call that Sean blamed me for the charges against her, so he certainly had a very strong motive to follow through with his threat.

‘Not only that, he has a very well-paid job and claimed to have tens of thousands of pounds in his bank account at his disposal, so he also had the means.

‘Sean’s sister Sheree is currently serving a four-year prison sentence, for what the Judge said was the worst case of domestic abuse she had ever seen. Sean’s declaration that he would ruin my life if Sheree was sent to prison, has been a constant in my mind since she was sentenced, as is the case for my close friends and family.

‘I’m still trying to recover from the effects of the hundreds of physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive episodes that Sheree perpetrated in an incremental pattern of behaviour going back over 20 years.

‘The last thing I need is her brother Sean, or indeed anyone else threatening to ruin my life further.’

MailOnline has contacted the Prison Service for comment.

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