Healthy baby daughter for punch victim mum
AWOMAN who was punched in the stomach by her violent ex-boyfriend while pregnant with their baby has given birth to a healthy daughter.
Natalie Clark, 23, was ten weeks pregnant when Daniel Holliday, 31, hit her so hard she was winded and started bleeding heavily.
The full-time mum, who has a fiveyear-old daughter Amelia-Rose from a previous relationship, thought she had lost her second child. But IvyRose was born without any problems and is now a healthy five-month-old.
Holliday was sentenced to an 18-month community order for the two assaults, criminal damage and breaking a restraining order.
Natalie, of Cheltenham, said: “I can honestly say I have no faith in the justice system. Absolutely disgusting. This has honestly been a hell of a year for me, dealing with the stress that man has caused me.
“Broken collar bones, fractured skulls, stalking, black eyes… the bloke is out of control.”
The couple met in August 2016 in a bar and Holliday was described as “very much a party lad” by Natalie. He moved into her house three weeks after they started going out, which Natalie admits was too early.
She said: “In the first couple of months I noticed he was an angry person, but I was so in love with him I stuck by him.”
They argued daily, often after heavy drinking by Holliday, according to Natalie.
“Daniel would accuse me of cheating. He was very paranoid. He wanted to have a baby and said he would change if I got pregnant. It was like mind control,” she said.
On one occasion, Holliday smashed his plate on the floor and threw his knife at Natalie when his dinner was not right and punched her in the stomach, accusing her of cheating.
She said: “I could see the anger in his eyes. Suddenly his eyes went black and evil. He was like a pit bull.”
The second assault occurred a month later – and one of Natalie’s friends was listening to the incident on the phone without Holliday knowing.
He attacked his girlfriend on the bed and threw a pushchair at her, leaving Natalie with severe bruises on her chest, neck and arms.
She found the courage to call the police on December 1 but Holliday was not arrested until January 12.
Natalie said: “It was the worst experience of my life, the hardest thing I have ever had to go through.
“Since this, I have suffered from severe anxiety which causes me to
I could see the anger in
his eyes. Suddenly his eyes went black and evil. He was like a pit bull
NATALIE CLARK
pass out. But the experience has made me stronger.”
Holliday was sentenced to 200 hours of unpaid work, a fine of £460 and a five-year restraining order.
A panic alarm was installed at Natalie’s home, but she is worried police will remove it now he has been sentenced.
A Gloucestershire police spokesperson said: “Measures used are dependent on the individual circumstances and panic alarms are not automatically removed on conviction. The safety of victims is paramount to the force and there are a range of safeguarding measures which are regularly put in place to help reduce any risk posed to them.”