Man lived in the woods for 10 years so he could avoid wife

omg 20/10/2017

A British man has opened up about living in the woods for 10 years after leaving his wife.

Malcolm Applegate left home without telling anyone after he says his wife's behaviour became increasingly controlling.

"The more work I took on, the angrier my wife got. She didn't like me being out of the house for long periods of time. The controlling behaviour started to get out of hand and she demanded that I cut my hours. After a long time trying to stay in the marriage, I decided to leave for good.

"Without a word to anyone, not even family, I packed up and left... I went missing for 10 years."

He camped out in the woods next to an elderly community centre where he worked as a gardener.

A decade later, he moved into Emmaus Greenwich, a homeless shelter in south London, sharing his story on their website.

"I enjoyed my life, but when I heard about Emmaus through a fellow 'runaway', I knew that would suit me better. I went to Emmaus Greenwich for an interview and moved in almost immediately."

Since moving to the shelter Mr Applegate has made contact with his sister, and said she thought he was dead.

He now spends his days working odd jobs and raising money for charity.

"My day-to-day involves working in the shop or driving the vans, I'm not fussy what jobs are given to me as long as I'm working. In my spare time, I enjoy doing sponsored walks for other homeless charities."