Brute ripped out my coil
I finally escaped his clutches… But now he’s walking free Animal tore out contraceptive coil Finally jailed for his violent crimes Evil Brown appealed and is now free
My knight in shining armour… That was what I thought of Duncan Brown when I first met him in August 2000.
Recently out of a relationship, I was living in a homeless refuge with my two daughters.
Duncan, then 36, was staying there, too, and we hit it off. ‘I’ll look after you,’ he vowed. Lonely and vulnerable, it was just what I wanted to hear.
A few months on, Duncan got his own place and our relationship blossomed.
Kind and genuine-seeming, I thought I’d met my very own Prince Charming.
Then, a year on, I was at Duncan’s place, helping with spring cleaning.
‘I’ll clean your kitchen cupboards,’ I offered, filling a bucket with water and bleach.
But, as I scrubbed the floor, Duncan became snappy, and we started bickering. Then he kicked the bucket of bleach in my face. I screamed in pain as it burned my eyes.
‘You stupid b*tch, look what you made me do!’ he yelled.
I raced to the sink to flush my eyes with water. In agony, I thought I’d been blinded.
Gradually, my bloodshot eyes became less blurry. But I could barely open them, they were so sore.
‘I’m sorry,’ Duncan sighed. ‘I don’t know what came over me. It won’t happen again.’
He seemed full of remorse, I believed it was a moment of madness.
Soon after, Duncan booked a surprise weekend in Dumfries – hotel, romantic meal… ‘You big softie,’ I smiled. He whisked me away, and we had a lovely day.
Back at the hotel, lying in bed, Duncan said he wanted us to have a baby.
‘I don’t want any more children,’ I told him. ‘Besides, I’ve had the contraceptive coil fitted.’ Suddenly, Duncan pinned me down, forced his hand inside me, and began tugging.
‘You’re hurting me!’ I screamed, but he ignored my pleas, and ripped out the coil, holding it up like a trophy.
‘Now we can have a baby,’ he said, grinning.
The agony was unbearable, and blood gushed out of me and onto the sheets.
‘Why did you do that?’ I gasped, sobbing.
‘Sorry, I was only messing around,’ he laughed.
Duncan terrified me – so much so, I was scared to leave.
After that, Duncan exploded over the smallest things.
He’d throw things, smash windows, or take his aggression out on me. With no family or friends to turn to, I felt so alone.
Shortly after he’d ripped out my coil, I fell pregnant. But I was terrified, and I made the agonising decision to have a termination. There’s no way I can have this baby, I thought, keeping it a secret from Duncan. Over the next year, I was a quivering wreck from his beatings. Then I was housed on the same street as him. There’s no escape, I realised. But, one day in 2003, Duncan disappeared. Just like that… Gone! I heard he’d moved to Glasgow, and assumed he’d met someone else. Good riddance! But horrifying memories of the abuse consumed me, and I became anxious, depressed. Years passed, and I was always looking over my shoulder, terrified Duncan would come back for me. Then, in August 2013, two police officers knocked at my front door. ‘We’ve arrested Duncan Brown,’ I was told. Over the years, I’d spoken to the police a few times about
Duncan terrified me so much, I was scared to leave
Duncan, but nothing had ever come of it.
Now two more victims had come forward, and my testimony was needed to send Duncan to prison.
I broke down, telling the police everything.
I still lived in fear of Duncan.
‘You’re safe. He can’t hurt you,’ an officer reassured me.
Finally, I found the strength to make a statement.
But Duncan denied everything.
So, in March 2014, I gave evidence along with the other victims.
It meant reliving the three years of hell I’d suffered at Duncan’s hands.
Thankfully, the jury found Duncan Brown, 50, guilty of three counts of rape and five counts of assault.
He was jailed for 10 years and placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely.
I was glad to have got justice. Only, less than a year later, I discovered Brown was appealing his sentence and conviction.
And, in July 2015, the three rape charges were quashed, and the appeal court also cut Brown’s sentence to just five years.
I was utterly distraught when I found out.
It was a massive kick in the teeth.
Even more so when, earlier this year, a friend contacted me on Facebook to say Brown had been granted early release.
He’d only served a pitiful two years in prison.
I’m disgusted that, after everything he’s done to me and others, that beast is walking the streets a free man. I feel so let down. It took all my strength and courage to report Brown, and to face him and give evidence against him in court.
And now it’d all been for nothing.
I’d thought after Brown had been jailed, I’d finally feel safe.
But, instead, I’m still having to live my life in fear.
Today, just the sound of the doorbell shatters my fragile nerves.
I’m a broken woman. And it’s all because of that disgusting, evil monster.
It took all my strength and courage to face him in court