The wife of a man who killed himself and their three children in NSW last week says she put up with his habitual violence for the sake of their family.
The bodies of Gary Bell and kids Jack, eight, Maddie, seven, and Bon, 16 months, were found in a four-wheel drive on their property in the remote town of Pericoe nine days ago.
In an exclusive interview with 60 Minutes, Karen Bell reveals she never believed her husband would do anything to harm their kids.
"He was very strict but he never hurt the children: he did love his children, he really did," she said.
"[I] never doubted that and I still can’t believe [he hurt them]."
Ms Bell says her husband first displayed violent behaviour about two years into their relationship and since then had been abusive “too many times to count”.
At time she felt he might kill her, but always returned because she knew he would never let her take the kids away on her own.
"I wanted that family [to] stick together," she says.
"The children loved him, you know, I loved him and we always worked it out."
For the full story watch 60 Minutes Sunday night at 7.30pm on Nine.
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