Herald Express (Torbay, Brixham & South Hams Edition)
PCC speaks out about abusive relationship
THE woman at the head of policing across Devon and Cornwall has spoken out about her own abusive relationship.
Alison Hernandez, the Police and Crime Ccommissioner for Devon and Cornwall, admitted that when it was happening, the last people she wanted to speak to was the police.
But now that her abusive ex-boyfriend is to be sentenced at court for assault and stalking, she said speaking up was the best thing she could have done. She has also told of the difficulty in ending the relationship with her former partner – in a bid to urge other women in similar situations to seek help.
Ms Hernandez, 44, had been in a turbulent relationship with Torbay charted surveyor Gill Winfield for three years.
Details of the abusive relationship were revealed when Winfield, 48, pleaded guilty to assault and stalking at Exeter Crown Court in July.
THE woman at the head of policing across Devon and Cornwall has spoken out about her own abusive relationship.
Alison Hernandez , the police and crime commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, admitted that when it was happening, the last people she wanted to speak to were the police. But now that her abusive ex-boyfriend is to be sentenced at court for assault and stalking, she said speaking up was the best thing she could have done.
She has also spoken of her mixed emotions and the difficulty in ending the relationship with her former partner – in a bid to urge other women in similar situations to seek help.
Ms Hernandez, 44, had been in a turbulent relationship with Torbay charted surveyor Gill Winfield for three years.
Details of the abusive relationship were revealed when Winfield, 48, pleaded guilty to assault and stalking at Exeter Crown Court in July.
The court heard he had hit her across the face after an argument in their car driving back from a supermarket. On another occasion he had grabbed and squeezed her wrist.
After she ended the relationship, Winfield then bombarded her with unwanted flowers and gifts, visited her house and those of her friends in a desperate bid to rekindle their relationship – even after police had warned him to stay away.
In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Ms Hernandez said being in a position of power at work was completely at odds with her powerless position in her personal life.
She recounted how she tried to end the relationship six times after incidents, but Winfield always managed to talk her around and offer gifts and cards.
She said the end came when the pair argued in the car on their way to shop at Lidl.
Ms Hernandez said she demanded Winfield take her home and on the way back he struck her without warning with the back of his hand across her face.
She said she was stunned at first, and then punched him back and yelled at him.
That was the end of their relationship but Winfield continued to pester her with visits, emails, texts and voicemail messages, begging her to take him back.
Ms Hernandez said she finally told a police chaplain and then made the brave choice to report the abuse.
She said she could not now understand why she stayed in the relationship for so long. She urged anyone suffering domestic abuse to make the same courageous decision to seek help.