They were married for 42 years but behind closed doors she was making her husband's life hell

A woman subjected her husband of more than four decades of abuse which included holding a scorching hot frying pan to his cheek. Cardiff Crown Court heard how Susan Rees, aged 73, subjected her husband of 42 years, Phillip Rees, to physical and verbal aggression between 2015 and 2024. The court heard how Mr Rees described his relationship with his wife as "complicated" with many days going by where things were fine but some days would result in arguments which would see him assaulted. He said his wife would regularly be verbally abusive towards him using names such as a “useless f***ing c**t”, “twat” and “tosser”, which would make him feel "small and worthless". As part of his ordeal he described accidentally breaking a dish in the living room leading to Rees discovering a piece of china he had missed while clearing up. This "angered" Rees who began shouting at Mr Rees and began cutting the top of his hands with the broken china causing him to bleed a lot due to his age. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here . There were other occasions, he explained in his account, where Rees would become physically aggressive toward him, grabbing his ears with her nails, dragging them forward, causing scram marks behind his ears. He also said she would also scram his face and back. Mr Rees also spoke of incidents where she spat in his face during the majority of arguments they had. The court was also told of an incident where Rees had held a scorching hot frying pan to her husband's cheek causing his skin to burn and blister. Mr Rees said in his account that if he ever brought up the argument or the abuse she would make him swear on a person's life that he would not bring up what happened. In October 2024 the court heard Rees "became so angry" with Mr Rees that she placed a phone charger lead around his neck and pulled it at both ends so that it went tight. Mr Rees was said to have been "struggling to cope" and so engaged with the Aberdare Domestic Violence Team leading to them making a report to the police. On November 21, 2024, Rees was arrested at her home address. She was bailed by the police but continued to contact Mr Rees by sending letters, text messages, and voicemails. Rees, of Highland Place, Aberdare, appeared at Cardiff's Crown Court having pleaded guilty to one count of intentional strangulation and one count of engaging in a controlling/coercive behaviour in an intimate/family relationship. She had no previous convictions prior to the matter. Rees was sentenced to 23 months in prison suspended for two years. She must also complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and was fined £400. A two-year restraining order has been put in place preventing her from contacting the victim. Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.