Glenys Downie Wiki

Glenys Downie Biography

Glenys Downie, 65, began a two-year prison sentence on Tuesday for the ‘cruel and wicked campaign’ of domestic abuse against her husband of 38 years.

Downie had “controlled and assaulted” her husband of 67 years during her marriage, before she found the courage to report him to the police in September 2021.

She forbade him to see friends and family, pulled his hair like a “school bully” and made him feel “subhuman” and “disgusting” by cleaning her, she heard a court.

She was found guilty by a jury at Portsmouth Crown Court, jailed for two years and placed on an indefinite restraining order.

In sentencing her, the judge said she intended to ‘humiliate and degrade him’ into a ‘total dominance’ relationship.

Family

It made me feel like my life was nothing and I was subhuman,” Downie’s husband said in a statement read at the sentencing hearing.

“He made me feel like I was disgusting and filthy and subjected me to being stabbed with knives, punched in the face and pulled by my hair like a child.

“I was constantly afraid of violent outbursts from him.”

He described how she kicked and punched him when he lost his temper, saying he lived in “constant fear.”

He also revealed that her marriage had not been good for a while, but in 2019, things escalated when he was banned from seeing her friends or family.

The retiree said “one of the happiest times” in her daughter’s life, when she was getting married, was ruined after Downie “tortured” them and turned it into a “nightmare.”

Both daughters testified against her during the trial.

Judge William Ashworth

Judge William Ashworth, during sentencing, told Downie: ‘You intended to humiliate and demean your husband. This is due to the repeated ways you put him down, describing him as ‘worthless’ and ‘half a man’.

“Much of your behavior had elements of bullying, with your antagonism towards him. And because he refused to defend himself, you egged him on and used his failure to defend himself as further proof of his worthlessness.

‘There was a huge gap between the two of you, with you holding all the strings in the relationship. He had nothing to say and had no ability to decide matters.

“The relationship became one of absolute domination.”

Victim

The victim, in this case, is an incredibly strong individual, particularly in light of what he’s been through, and should be commended for his bravery.

“No person should be treated in this shocking way, especially by someone he loves and shares a life with.”

He added: “Domestic abuse is a very complex type of crime to investigate, since a large part of the crimes occur behind closed doors and the victims are controlled, manipulated and forced to comply with demands, which makes it even more difficult for people to report it to the police.”

“I hope the outcome of this case reassures others who are suffering in silence that this abuse can be stopped.”

Investigation

Following complaints made to police, officers launched an investigation and Downie was subsequently charged with controlling and coercive behavior.

She denied wrongdoing and the case went to trial at Portsmouth Crown Court. After nearly three hours of deliberation, the jury convicted her.

Edmund Wild, defending, said that Downie “clearly maintained her denial of the facts” but that she “was sorry to be (in court)”.

Judge Ashworth decided that prison was appropriate because she “had no remorse” or “prospects for rehabilitation”.

“You caused him to lose two years of his life, so he will serve two years in custody,” he added.