When we discovered our son was different, my husband made an unthinkably cruel accusation. But I could never have imagined the evil he was capable of: TINA TALBOT

As I danced successful the pub, I could spot a tall, muscular antheral checking maine out. 

Later, erstwhile I walked towards the bar, helium approached maine and asked to bargain maine a drink.

His sanction was Milosz and astatine 19, helium was six years younger than me. 

'I've conscionable near the Marines and I'm moving astatine a car dealership now,' helium said, 'but I'm much funny successful you.'

Despite being older than him, I was a spot naïve astir relationships and hadn't dated much. 

We started seeing 1 another, but it was a long-distance narration for a while. I'd conscionable moved backmost successful with my parents aft graduating from teacher grooming and Milosz was connected a assemblage assistance 2 hours away.

A fewer months into our relationship, helium turned up connected my parents' doorstep unannounced.

'I've travel to spot you,' helium grinned.

My parents, Susan and Joseph, and sisters, Becky and Beth, hadn't met him before.

'We've got household plans,' my begetter said.

'She's coming with me. Cancel the plans,' Milosz demanded.

When I hesitated, helium stormed to his car and sped away, tyres squealing.

'He's controlling. I don't privation you seeing him,' my dada said. 

I was lone 25 and didn't spot past that my begetter was trying to support me. Defiantly, I moved retired and got my ain workplace flat.

It wasn't agelong earlier Milosz moved in. As soon arsenic helium did, my parents stopped taking to me.

'They don't attraction astir you,' Milosz said.

'They're conscionable upset,' I said, defended them.

When my youngest sister Beth came circular to visit, Milosz abruptly flew into a rage and bushed maine up successful beforehand of her.

Beth tried to halt him, but helium shoved her away.

We fled and called the constabulary but aft I'd pulled myself together, I felt excessively embarrassed to property charges. 

Milosz promised it wouldn't hap again. I wanted to judge him. I loved him - truthful I stayed.

Next Milosz began isolating maine from my friends. He was truthful rude to them connected nights retired that they stopped inviting maine anywhere. I became much and much isolated.

That's erstwhile the threats started.

'If you permission me, I'll hunt you down and I'll termination you and your family,' Milosz swore.

When helium started punching, slapping maine and sexually assaulting me, I was excessively frightened to leave. There were moments erstwhile helium was benignant and loving, but mostly I lived successful fearfulness of his rage.

We'd been unneurotic astir 14 years erstwhile his temper caused him to suffer yet different job.

'I'm giving up work. You tin enactment me,' helium announced.

I had nary choice.

While I worked astatine a recognition union, Milosz slept. He spent each nighttime gaming and became obsessed with pornography, too.

When my mediate sister, Becky, died from encephalon cancer, Milosz allowed maine to spell to the funeral, but forbid maine from going to my parents' location afterwards.

'I'm gladsome Becky's dead. She ne'er liked me. She's rotting successful hell,' helium sneered.

That week I discovered I was pregnant.

Milosz tried to unit maine to person an abortion, but I refused. He continued to rape and maltreatment maine passim my pregnancy.

After I gave commencement to my son, Phillip, helium became my lone crushed for existing.

But determination were challenges connected the horizon. Within a fewer years, Phillip was diagnosed arsenic autistic and non-verbal.

Milosz accused maine of cheating connected him, saying: 'I'd ne'er person a disabled kid.'

It was unthinkably cruel. Phillip was truly affectionate and loved to hug and snuggle up, but his begetter conscionable ignored him.

We got joined due to the fact that Milosz wanted my enactment wellness security coverage. It was 1 of the unhappiest days of my life.

In the past, Milosz had ever avoided leaving disposable bruises, but present helium didn't care. I went to enactment with missing teeth, achromatic eyes and a breached nose.

By present I was 45 and had been abused for 20 years. In a bittersweet way, I'd go utilized to it and accepted it arsenic my batch successful life.

One day, Milosz smashed a seat against my arm, wholly shattering the bone. He forced maine to portion vino earlier we went to the infirmary and made maine archer doctors I'd fallen successful a drunken accident.

By then, Milosz had a weapon and I was terrified he'd usage it if I didn't bash arsenic I was told. 

After we got location from the hospital, things escalated.

For the adjacent fewer days, Milosz beat, threatened and sexually assaulted me.  

When Phillip, who was present seven, got successful his way, helium wounded him too, picking him up and smashing him into the woody floor. 

Not my son, I thought. 

For truthful agelong I'd conscionable accepted what Milosz was doing to me, but seeing him onslaught my son, leaving him screaming successful pain, lit a occurrence successful me.

On the 4th time of torture, Milosz said: 'I'm going to termination you both.'

Not if I get to you first, I though, choler pulsing done me.

Later, aft taking Phillip upstairs to play, I heard Milosz clunk the weapon down connected the apical of the fridge. When helium wasn't looking, I took it retired into the plot and hid it down a works pot.

Milosz followed maine outside. 'I'm going to termination him and past you,' helium vowed. 

My bosom hammering successful my chest, I picked up the weapon and pointed it astatine him.

'You got 5 seconds to springiness maine that gun,' helium said.

He began counting.

'One, two, three...'

For a fraction of a second, helium appeared distracted by a dependable coming from wrong the house.

I pulled the trigger - and I didn't miss. I deed him quadrate successful the chest, and helium collapsed connected the ground, bleeding out.

My hands were shaking arsenic the gravity of what I'd conscionable done sunk in. I'd killed Milosz.

But I besides felt definite I'd besides conscionable saved the beingness of my son.  

Inside the house, I called the police. 'You request to come,' I said. 'I've conscionable killed my husband.'

When officers arrived and charged maine with murder, I told them to telephone my parent who came to get Phillip. 

Before I could adjacent spell to the constabulary station, I needed to beryllium treated astatine the infirmary aft 4 days of beatings and torture astatine Milosz' hands.

Struggling to breathe, my lungs were partially deflated due to the fact that my ribs were broken. My spleen was torn, my sternum and wrist fractured, and I had a achromatic oculus and galore bruises.

I knew I was going to situation but conscionable felt alleviation my lad was safe.

'I'll plead blameworthy to immoderate gets maine location to Phillip fastest,' I told my lawyer.

Admitting voluntary manslaughter, I was jailed for 20 months to 15 years.

'Ms Talbot was severely abused successful this relationship, but the taking of different beingness is inactive a transgression and that has to beryllium accounted for,' Judge Martha Anderson said.

A petition demanding my pardon received much than 260,000 signatures. After 20 months, the run for my merchandise was successful. I was granted parole.  

Phillip was among the cheering assemblage waiting extracurricular the prison.

'I emotion you truthful much,' I sobbed, hugging him.

Today, arsenic good arsenic caring for Phillip, who is present 12, I run for home unit to beryllium recognised arsenic a defence erstwhile a pistillate kills her convulsive partner.

After decades of horrific abuse, I was convinced Phillip and I were going to die.

Killing my hubby was my lone prime and what immoderate parent would person done to prevention her child.

• As told to John Parrish