Pick Me Up! – 30 May 2019

I discovered

thathe

was

classeda

high-risk

perpetrator

NowI’mdoing

mybestto

rebuild my life

Brewster:

jailedfor

16 months

REAL LifE

Making

my

escape

F

ora while,I sobbed,

waitingforIan

toventallhisrage.

Andthen,asusual,

heseemedtocrumble.

‘Ididn’tmeantohurt

you,’hesaid.

Tooscaredtoevensleep,I sat

awakeallnight.

Then,a messagefrommy

mumcamethrough:

I’mcomingto getyou.

Staceyhadknown

somethingwaswrongand

givenhera call.

Imanagedtocreepoutthat

morning,whileIanwasstill

halfasleep.I hadn’tdaredpack

anything,justgrabbedmy

phoneonthewayout.

Mumtookmetothepolice

stationtogivea statement.

Theofficersaskedmeif

I wantedtoknowaboutIan’s

historyunderClare’sLaw,

the domestic-violence

disclosurescheme.

I wasshockedtofind

outIanwasclasseda

high-riskperpetrator.

IthoughtI’dknownhim

sowell.

Whatkindof manhad

I beenlivingwith?

Afterthat,I didn’tsee

Ianagain.

Ileftmyflat,too–

althoughreturnedonce

tocollectmythings.

It wasa crimescene.

Thewholeplacewas

smashedtopieces.

IheardIandeniedall

wrongdoing,butfailedto

turnupforhiscourtdate

inAugust2018.

Hewasconvictedin

hisabsence,andfound

guiltyof controllingorcoercive

behaviouruponmeplus

otherchargesof assaultupon

anotherex-girlfriendand

criminaldamagetoherTV.

Policeputhisname

ona ‘wanted’listandhe

wasarrestedagain

thatDecember.

He appeared

beforeMinshullStreetCrown

CourtinJanuarywherehewas

sentencedto 16 monthsinjail.

Hislawyertoldthecourtthat

Brewsterwasparanoid about

whypeoplewould

wanttobeina

relationshipwith

him,andparanoid

aboutinfidelity,too.

Itcame

outthat

he’dbeen

accused

of sexual

assaultwhen

hewas18,andalthough

noactionhadbeen

taken,he’dhadpeople

callinghima paedophile

onsocialmedia.

He’dbeenassaulted,

too,andfeltlikehespent

hislife‘lookingover

hisshoulder’.

WhenI readabout

allthatafterthetrial,I

wassoangry.Especially

that he’d used his

insecuritiesasanexcusefor

whathe’ddone.

Mylifehasbeendestroyed

by Brewsterandwhathedid.

I’velostmyhome,

althoughit seemsa

smallpricetopay.

I’mjustdoingmy

besttorebuildmy

lifeinanywayI can.

Ihavea handful

of closefriends,

butI findit difficult

totrustanyone

thesedays.

Ihavepanicattacks,and

struggletosleep.Relationships

feelimpossiblerightnow,too.

ButI’mhopingtohave

counsellingsessionssoon.

Ijustwanttoputallthis

behindmeforgood.

Attheendof theday,

I feelveryfortunatethat

I managedtowalkawaywith

mylife.

I won’tletIanBrewster ruin

any more of it.

Trapped & TerrIfIed