Bargain Hunt star Charles Hanson told police that an alleged headlock he held his pregnant wife in was in fact a “loving” hug, a court has heard.
The jury, in the trial at Derby Crown Court, was told that the 46-year-old television auctioneer said during a police interview that Rebecca Hanson was a “fantasist” who “can exaggerate things”.
Hanson was charged with controlling or coercive behaviour, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault by beating after he was arrested from his home on 14 June, 2023.
His wife told the court that Hanson used violence against her throughout a decade, which began with the first incident in 2012 when he allegedly held her in a headlock during an argument while she was pregnant.
A police interview with Hanson which took place at St Mary’s Wharf police station in Derby on June 15 2023, the day after he had been arrested, was read to the court on Wednesday.
The jury heard that Hanson told police that during this alleged incident Mrs Hanson “completely went wild” and he was trying to be “warm and lovely” when he gave her a hug.
Stephen Kemp, prosecuting, read Hanson’s interview in which he said: “She had a massive bender, just completely went wild. She has these now and again.
“I said ‘everything is OK, come here love, give us a big squeeze’. I held her really tight. She took it the wrong way. I think at the time Rebecca took offence.
“Rebecca can be a fantasist, she can exaggerate things, everything is exaggerated beyond reasonable belief – I believe that is the case with this hug.
“I squeezed her in a loving way, it was not forceful. It was not me going over forcibly, it was a hug.
“I squeezed her into me and that’s what it was. It was not aggressive, it was not a grab, just focused on being warm and lovely.
“There was a lot of pressure I think on the pregnancy. She’s a very depressive person, not happy in life.
“For the past sort of six weeks she has been really abusive to me. Everything has been so coercive. I was in tears last weekend – I said I can’t cope with this, Rebecca is so abusive.
“I’m trying to cope but she has just changed. I think mentally she’s not well.”
In Hanson’s interview he told police his wife had a tendency for “meltdowns” and had “mood swings”, the court heard.
On 1 May, 2023, it is alleged that Hanson pushed his wife twice in their bedroom after she swore at him.
He told the police that she had been “waving her arms around” and he just gave her a “tiny prod”, the jury heard.
The court heard that he said in the police interview: “We both went upstairs and she just shouted out f*** you, f*** you, f*** you.
“I said ‘you can’t say that’ and very gently put my hand on her shoulder. She’s up in bed waving her arms around in some crazy way. It was a tiny prod on the shoulder.
“I did not push her back on the bed, I said ‘stop it’ and walked out. Rebecca gets more upset I think by raised voices.”
The trial continues.
