‘My husband wouldn’t allow me to top up phone’

SHEEMA*, 60, said she was a victim of financial control from her UK-born husband.

She said: “He worked at this company, he said he was an inspection engineer.

“Then he’d say an aeronautical engineer. He never showed me his documents.

“And his salary, to be honest, I didn’t know that either. He would feed me but anything else, like he wouldn’t allow me to top up my phone for £5.

“Sometimes he would give me money, when he was in a good mood, but it was never reliable.”

Sheema added: “And he was suspicious by nature and placed a lot of restrictions on me – don’t go here, there, don’t meet friends, everything was a problem for him.

“I had come [to the UK] with some money of my own. I’d ask [my family] to send me money, so I somehow managed.” * Name has been changed

■ If you are in need of information and support, email helpline@womensaid.org.uk or contact a local domestic abuse service by visiting www.womensaid.org.uk/domesticabuse-directory