A woman describes enduring a controlling, abusive marriage for 30 years, isolated from family and friends and unable to seek help.

Overwhelmed, she once stood in the road hoping a bus would kill her, and was later kept in a closed ward for three months for her safety.

She was forced to leave her beloved bungalow and gardening after a psychiatrist warned her she could not return because her husband might kill her.

An abuse worker supported her for two years, teaching her basic independence such as using a phone, but then moved to Australia, leaving her to navigate a difficult divorce alone.

Now 81, she says many women her age stay and endure abuse, struggles to make friends, and finds her main support through a local Catholic church, where she has gained confidence to read from the pulpit.