Coventry woman's plea after domestic abuse attack

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-21952737

Version 0 of 1.

A woman beaten up by her violent partner has urged other victims of domestic violence to come forward.

Sinead Noone, 26, of Coventry, suffered multiple eye socket fractures and bruising all over her body after a row about Valentine's Day last year.

Her ex-partner Derrick Robinson, 50, of Birmingham, has been sentenced to 13 years, including five years on licence.

Ms Noone said: "I'll never put myself through that again and any woman out there should come forward."

She has also asked police to release photos she took on her mobile phone after the attack.

Robinson, of Kingstanding, was sentenced for grievous bodily harm with intent, at Leicester Crown Court on 21 March.

'Could have died'

The attack happened on 15 February 2012, after Ms Noone said she questioned Robinson who had come home drunk and late the night before, ruining dinner plans.

She said he "exploded" when quizzed and she curled up in a ball to try and protect herself from the blows.

Ms Noone was unconscious when Robinson put her to bed after the attack.

"When I woke up, he was lying next to me in bed," she said.

"He didn't care. I mean I'd laid in bed the whole night with abdominal injuries, a broken nose. I could have died from internal injuries, I didn't even know what was wrong with me."

Robinson had been controlling and violent for much of their nine-month relationship, but Ms Noone said after each incident he convinced her it would not happen again or it was her fault.

"You accept a slap, being told what to wear clothes-wise - they are all tell-tale signs when you should think, 'I'm going, this is it, I should leave this man'.

"But love's blind and you don't - until it's too late, nearly," she said.

Det Con Clive Leftwich, of West Midlands Police, said: "It was possibly one of the most horrific attacks I have seen on a domestic violence victim."

Ms Noone now wants to work with domestic violence charities, which she says have helped her.

"I'm proud of myself now for standing up to him," she said, urging other people to report domestic violence attacks to police.

Mr Leftwich said officers hoped new laws, which widen the definition of domestic abuse to include acts such as emotional abuse and financial abuse, would encourage more people to come forward.

The widened definition comes into force this month. It covers psychological intimidation and controlling behaviour, and applies to victims under 18.