Suicidal victim was ‘stripped of all her confidence’
GAIL Birch bravely spoke in court of the torment she endured at the hands of Lansdell.
Miss Birch said: “The more he drank each day, all forms of abuse and control got drastically worse.
“He stripped me of all my self confidence around other people. I used to be a very outgoing person, but now the feeling that I have no life left inside as a person is so very, very strong.”
Miss Birch admitted she wanted to end her life “on many occasions”, adding: “I thought it was my only way out of this horrible situation that I was trapped in.”
The courageous victim stated the more she heard Lansdell’s daily “nastiness”, the more she started to believe she was a “horrible, worthless person”.
She lied to people about what was really happening. Manipulative Lansdell even banned her son from visiting, leading Miss Birch to fear she would lose him forever.
She said: “I was reminded every day if I did have contact with Daniel, the defendant would beat him to death, breaking every bone in his body. This caused me great concern for my son’s safety.
“I have realised now why he did this to both of us. It was because he was so jealous of mine and Daniel’s relationship. The defendant could not bare the closeness between us or other members of my close family. I began to feel extremely isolated in my own home.”
She stated she will “never get over” Lansdell’s abuse and still feels suicidal. But she vowed to “regain some of my former life back again” with the help of her support network.
In court, Daniel broke down as he disclosed how the defendant’s mind games affected his mental health, triggered his post traumatic stress disorder and severely disrupted his architecture studies at university.
He said: “My mother made an attempt on her own life and very nearly succeeded.
“The day I came home and found my mother will haunt me forever. I stayed by her side as she was in a coma for five days.”
Daniel also spoke of his frustration at the excuses Miss Birch gave for her bruises. On one occasion when Daniel visited, he was forced to try and clamber through a window after there was no answer at the door. It prompted Lansdell to force him out of the house, shouting that he was not welcome any more. He would often use the chilling warning, “I’ll ruin you”.
The situation took its toll on Daniel’s own health and he was put on anti-depressants.
“I felt extremely angry, lost, confused and isolated as not to have any explanation as to why I was being punished in this way,” he added.
“I did not get to have a relationship with my mother for 12 months. She was not allowed to have any form of contact with me and, if we did, it would have to be in secret.”
When Daniel was unexpectedly allowed to return and stay at his mother’s home he soon discovered the dark truth.