Strangled and stalked, a victim shares her story
ABUSER MONITORED HER PHONE AND SECRETLY FILMED HER FOR ALMOST A YEAR
A WOMAN whose partner tried to convince her she was imagining things after she woke up to find him strangling her has spoken out about her domestic violence experience.
The victim was also subject to a constant monitoring of her phone and social media pages, as well as being secretly filmed for almost a year.
These incidents were just a few in a series of harrowing attacks conducted by 32-year-old Ross Patrick, who is now serving 12 months in jail after pleading guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour.
Now, his victim, who did not want to be named, is urging other victims not to “suffer in silence” by speaking out for Domestic Abuse Awareness Month.
The woman says the relationship started when Patrick swept her off her feet with kindness and attention in June 2018 - with no “warning signs” of what was to follow.
She said: “When we first got together it was amazing. He could not do enough for me. He was so complimentary and I remember thinking how nice it was to have someone looking after me.
“Things changed after a few weeks. We would argue and he’d be aggressive, throwing glass against the wall and he insisted on going through my phone.
“Each argument would be followed by a sincere apology and promises of change and when he apologised, I believed him.”
But Patrick progressively became jealous, accusing his victim of cheating.
He would hack into her social media accounts and phone, message her contacts pretending to be her, and send personal photographs and messages in a bid to cause arguments.
Patrick also harassed her, by sending constant messages and would often show up unexpectedly and tell her she is being watched by others.
Unbeknown to the victim, Patrick installed an app on her phone enabling him to read and control all her messages and track her location via his own phone. The victim even recalled making a scrap book on her bed and receiving a text from Patrick - who was working abroad at the time - asking who the scrap book was for. She then realised cameras had been installed in the house without her knowing.
She said: “He admitted he had installed the cameras and it left me feeling unable to relax as I knew I was being watched.
“I didn’t remove the cameras, determined to prove I was not being unfaithful, hoping his behaviour would change, but it didn’t.”
Things took a disturbing turn when the victim woke one night being strangled by Patrick.
Knowing she was distressed and confused by the incident, Patrick convinced her she was imagining it and should go back to sleep.
Nottinghamshire Police were called following an incident on August 15, 2019 when, during an argument, Patrick pinned the victim against the wall and threatened to throw her through a window.
She attempted to leave the house but Patrick chased her down the street, viciously assaulted her and bit her nose.
The attack left the victim with multiple injuries, which made her realise it was time to contact the police.
The victim stayed with family for her own safety.
In the days between the assault and Patrick’s arrest, he continued to harass her and attempted to hack and track her phone.
Patrick, 32, of College Street, East Bridgford, was then arrested and charged with coercive and controlling behaviour.
He pleaded guilty to the charges in Nottingham Crown Court earlier this year and was jailed for 12 months. He also received a lifetime restraining order preventing him from ever contacting or meeting his victim.
The victim said: “I cannot thank Nottinghamshire Police enough for their help. In situations like this you always feel that you’re never going to be believed and they’ve been working on the case for a year and I finally have justice.
“My abuser told me if I called the police, they wouldn’t believe me and I believed him. I want other victims to know, you will be believed, you will be respected and you will get justice.”