My kids begged me not to come home in fear my abusive ex would kill me, ITV presenter Ruth Dodsworth reveals
A TV weather presenter says her children begged her not to come home as they feared her abusive husband would kill her.
ITV’s Ruth Dodsworth was told to stay away on the day she called police about Jonathan Wignall.
Ruth, 46, said: “My children basically said, ‘Mum, don’t come home because he will kill you’.
“He’d been on a drink-fuelled rampage for 24 hours.
“I was used to that. But at this point I told him I wanted a divorce.
“He couldn’t tighten his grip any more.
“This is a man who basically said to me, ‘If I can’t have you, no one else can’.
“If I hadn’t dialled 999 I wouldn’t be alive.”
Ruth is speaking out to highlight economic abuse.
She has no savings as nightclub owner Wignall managed their finances.
He was jailed for three years in 2021 for stalking and coercive control but served only 18 months.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.