Charles Hanson: Bargain Hunt star promised wife he would 'never lay a finger' on her before arrest, court hears

Hanson, known for his appearances on BBC’s Bargain Hunt, is accused of controlling or coercive behaviour, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and assault by beating. Prosecutors allege that he subjected his wife to a decade of violence, beginning in 2012, two years after they married.

WhatsApp messages between Hanson, 46, and his wife, Rebecca Hanson, were read in Derby Crown Court on Tuesday, revealing his attempts to salvage their marriage before he was arrested on June 14, 2023.

On June 5, Hanson messaged his wife, saying: “I promise now I will never ever lay a finger on you … ever again. Let’s just give it a go, we have been through a lot in 13 years.” He added: “Let me have one more chance and let me show you what a good husband … I can be.”

Mrs Hanson responded: “Fed up with this, you will never change.” Days later, Hanson messaged again, admitting that if he ever “laid hands on” his wife again, he would have to leave. He said: “I know if I do anything with laying hands on again I will have to walk.

“I really do want to try and make it work, I love you and realise what I need to do. Can we not give it a two-week cooling off and see where we are? I did not sleep last night thinking about everything.” Mrs Hanson replied: “I’m past that point I’m afraid.”

A few days before Hanson’s arrest, Mrs Hanson messaged him saying she wanted to separate after he had “pushed (her) too far.”

In earlier messages that month, Hanson begged her not to leave, saying: “Please don’t say you are done, it’s like a knife through my heart. Please give me one more chance. I promise I will change and I know I can.”

Mrs Hanson’s mother, Jacqueline Ludlam, testified in court, saying the couple’s relationship had started out as “quite a normal marriage”, but over time, Hanson’s “outbursts” became more frequent. “She had been telling me she was scared of him and she had got to get away from him. It was not very practical for her to leave.”

Mrs Ludlam told the jury that Hanson had been “desperate” to save the marriage and had agreed to attend marriage counselling. The court heard that the couple attended just one session in May 2023 before their relationship broke down completely.

The trial continues.