Chilling details of how a man faked his own death to ensure his wife was jailed for hiring a hitman on him have been revealed.

Maria “Lulu” Sosa offered a man identified only as Gustavo $A2,600 to kill her husband, Ramon Sosa, 50, in 2015 but did not realise the pair were friends.

Speaking with The Sun, Mr Sosa, from Houston in the US, said while discovering his wife’s plan was “surreal”, he knew he needed to fight fire with fire and get the upper hand.

In a plot coordinated with the help of police, the father-of-three was photographed with a fake bullet wound through his temple and laying in a shallow grave.

View photos Lulu and Ramon Sosa pictured together, alongside the staged murder photo. Source: PA More

“That picture, to this day, reflects one of the most difficult things I have ever done in my life. The thought of me lying in a shallow grave in my underwear with a bullet hole through my temple is mind boggling,” he told the publication.

Gustavo later presented the photo to Lulu in a recorded meeting, thereby providing the evidence which assisted in her being arrested and sentenced to 20 years behind bars.

“All of this drama to prove to Lulu, my beloved, that I was dead. One will never be able to wrap their mind around that kind of madness,” Mr Sosa said.

“I still remember what I was thinking while I was posing for that picture: My kids and my parents; what they were going to think whenever they saw the gruesome images.”

View photos Lulu was sentenced to 20 years prison in 2016. Source: PA More

In the lead-up to Lulu’s plan being revealed, the couple had been enduring a divorce, but Mr Sosa said it was inconceivable Lulu would have him killed.

He considers himself lucky to be alive, having had to “sleep with the enemy and with one eye open” all while keeping her in the dark about what he knew.

Now, three years into her prison term, Mr Sosa has gone on to write a book about his experience and has also become an advocate for victims of domestic abuse.

He has urged anyone experiencing physical or emotional abuse to seek help immediately, particularly men who might feel more reluctant to come forward.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence or abuse, find help by visiting White Ribbon or calling 1800 RESPECT.

In an emergency call 000.

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