25 February 2024 , 17:15
889
0
A woman's partner who presented himself as "prince charming" was a domestic abuser who "manipulated and beat" her in a four campaign of terror.
Jamie Thomas had convinced Ely resident Laura he was a "good guy", with the match made in heaven off to a great start. But eight months into the relationship, the "love of her life" had become jealous and violent. Laura says her partner suffered mood swings and would threaten suicide any time she attempted to end the relationship.
Early signs of control soon spiralled into violent abuse, with her partner and later fiancé dragging her by the hair, breaking her ribs and biting her in a series of sick attacks. Tomas later claimed he would "f*** you up every time I see you". He was jailed at Cardiff Crown Court to three years and three months imprisonment after pleading guilty to several attacks on his partner.
Jamie Thomas was jailed for three years and three months (South Wales Police)Laura has since spoken out on her experiences of abuse, detailing the four-and-a-half year relationship to WalesOnline. She said: "It was still very much abusive on his part but it was more controlling at first. It was the odd names here and there and then it was things like when he didn't get his own way he was going to kill himself.
"That's why I kept going back because he said he was going to kill himself if I didn't. It is emotionally abuse. At the start he would portray himself as the good guy, prince charming. I was aware of it [his past] but was thinking 'oh no he'll change, he's with me now, he'll change'. "I don't do drugs, I'm very anti-drugs I thought he'd change, he'd come off the drugs. That didn't happen. I had it all, was told he 'didn't do this, didn't do that' - turns out he did."
Man in 30s dies after being stabbed in park sparking police probe
In mitigation, Thomas' lawyers, said his drug use had contributed to the abuse. Laura added: "It was probably around eight months into the relationship that I first started noticing things. I'd watch him go from really nice and calm to really angry straight away. His mood would switch at the drop of a hat.
"It was like walking on eggshells constantly. It was mainly when we were together but sometimes he would do it around his kids or my kids but mainly when it was just us. When he was around his friends he still portrayed he was the best boyfriend ever."
One incident in particular left Laura with scar tissue on her breast after Thomas made sexually violent comments before biting his partner on the left breast. Laura added: "I was devastated, I was really heartbroken. How could someone who claims to love me do that? As was said in court, you don't do that to somebody you love. He's a coward. I was shocked, I thought he had changed. I thought he had become a better person but no he hadn't.
One incident left Laura with scar tissue forming on her breast (Laura Williams)"Even after this there was constant emotional abuse. Constant saying that he was going to kill himself, that I'd 'messed his head up'. How have I messed your head up when it's the other way around? It was easier for me to go back to him than for him to be harassing me, ringing me off no caller ID, following me in my car, it was earlier to go back and not deal with any of that." She has since recalled the reason for leaving the relationship and taking Thomas to court.
"It started with Women's Aid when I was in hospital with my ribs. I told them I fell down the stairs and they called me in. From there the police said I needed to report it. It went from there. Overall it took five hours to go through it all," Laura said. "It's a lot to keep to yourself and now I want to scream from the rooftops. He's done it before and he's done it again. He doesn't know how to treat a woman. I do worry because he had restraining orders against his ex and he didn't comply with them at all. He thinks he's above the law, he doesn't care about any of that.
"I'm dreading it [his release], absolutely dreading it. He has a vendetta against me and I know he is going to be thinking I ruined his life so he's going to ruin mine. I was happy with three years but he's only got to do half so he will be out and I just think he could have got a lot more for what he did to my breast alone."