The documents revealed, that on three occasions in 1955, Houghton's wife approached the Admiralty with concerns about her husband. In 1956, the admiralty informed the security services that she believed that "her husband was divulging secret information to people who ought not to get it". The Admiralty added that "it is considered not impossible that the whole of these allegations may be nothing more than outpourings of a jealous and disgruntled wife". The files also record that Houghton beat his wife and tried to kill her by pushing her off a cliff, only to be disturbed by a passerby. She alleged that when they returned home after the incident, her husband threw gin in her face and told her, "I've got to get rid of you, you know too much".