Renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has been accused of 'interefering with a police investigation' into his wife's alleged assaults on him, reports The Times, London.
The Times said it 'has learnt that lawyers acting for the couple have written to the professor's nurses asking them to sign a statement of support, to be passed to detectives.'
Hawking, multi-millionaire author of the bestselling A Brief History of Time, has repeatedly been taken to hospital with various injuries including a broken wrist, gashes on his face and a cut lip.
At least ten nurses have told the police that the cosmologist's wife Elaine is responsible for his unexplained injuries.
Previous police investigations, prompted by worried family members including three children by first wife Jane were cut short after Hawking refused to co-operate.
Hawking was married to Jane for 26 years, but left her in 1990 to marry Elaine, then one of his nurses.
The wheelchair-bound Hawking continues to insist that the injuries were caused by 'accidents,' and has released a statement saying, 'my wife and I love each other very much, and it is only because of her that I am alive today.'
Though the Cambridge professor has now told detectives he is willing to be interviewed, sources at Cambridgeshire police said detectives were furious at what they saw as an attempt to interfere with their inquiry.
'It is outrageous,' a source told The Times. 'They seem to have decided to do our investigation for us. I am completely speechless. Perhaps they would like to prosecute, defend and judge the case as well?'
Their ire stems from a letter sent out to the nurses by Hawking's lawyer which requests their support and warns them against talking to the press.
One nurse told The Times: 'We are furious. We are very upset. It is really offensive. I am waiting for Stephen to be put in the witness box.'
Hawking is in hospital being treated for pneumonia.