I Was Living in Fear. of My Own Wife; EXCLUSIVE It's Usually a Crime Committed by Men against Women. but as Many as One in Six Men Are Victims of Domestic Violence. Kieron Bell, Whose Wife Was Jailed Last Week for Attacking Him, Explains Why He Didn't Come Forward until It Was Almost Too Late

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Byline: Kelly Strange

Burly bouncer Kieron Bell had no problem at all removing troublesome drunks from the nightclub where he worked.

But he found himself powerless to stand up to the domestic violence meted out by his petite wife - and it almost cost him his life.

Many would find the situation hard to believe. And it was that fear which delayed Kieron reporting the domestic violence he was suffering at the hands of his seemingly loving wife.

She had attacked him regularly since they married in June 2006 but it wasn't until Sarah stabbed him in the chest with a steak knife that Kieron had the courage to stand up to his 24-year-old partner.

Even then she tried to persuade police Kieron had fallen on the knife. But after life-saving heart surgery which has left him with a 10-inch scar, he found the courage to finally expose her.

And now, after she was jailed last week for fourand-a-half years, he's speaking out to encourage other victims to come forward and break the taboo surrounding male domestic violence.

Kieron says: "Domestic violence against men is a big problem. Because women are seen as the vulnerable ones, people don't understand how men can allow themselves to …