I thought my evil ex was going to kill me and was so relieved when the police showed up – then they arrested ME
GASPING for breath, Danielle Secker felt her eyes roll back into her head as her boyfriend pinned her against the wall, squeezing his arm against her neck.
Terrified for her life, she lashed out at thug Jamie Cannella, 34, seeing him release his grip.
Moments later, though, he strangled the helpless mother-of-one.
Despite his vicious assault, it was Cannella who called 999, telling police that Danielle had a knife and was ‘threatening to kill herself’.
When five officers arrived, Danielle, 26, hoped they’d take Cannella into custody.
However, an officer announced, “You’re under arrest for common assault”, before handcuffing Danielle and driving her to the station.
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For 18 hours she was held in a cell before officers realised she was the victim and released her without charge.
In July 2024, Cannella was found guilty of controlling and coercive behaviour, intentional strangulation and actual bodily harm.
He was jailed for five years at Luton Crown Court.
Now, Danielle is speaking out to raise awareness of domestic abuse.
Danielle, from Luton, says: “I couldn’t believe I was arrested that night, even after explaining what Jamie had done to me.
“It was horrific being placed in a cell and made to feel like a criminal.
“They should’ve listened to me, not that manipulative monster.
“I’m just relieved he’s finally off the streets unable to harm anyone else.”
Danielle met Cannella in 2015, at a birthday party, when she was 17.
Within weeks Danielle claims Cannella became controlling, isolating her from friends and family.
Danielle, who works in a school, says: “I just thought he was being protective at first.”
In January 2018 the pair moved in together and the following month, things took a sinister turn when Cannella locked Danielle in the house to attend a funeral, not returning until the early hours of the next morning.
When Danielle questioned where he’d been, he flipped.
She remembers: “He grabbed me by the throat and punched me in the face.
“Afterwards he told me to leave, so I went to stay at my grandparent’s house, covering the nasty bruise on my chin with make-up.”
The following day, Danielle’s manager at work noticed the mark and asked about it.
After confessing Cannella’s attack, she escorted her to the police station where she made a statement.
But blinded by love, she decided not to press charges.
Over the next few weeks Cannella grovelled and the pair got back together.
A month later, Danielle fell pregnant but at 11 weeks, she sadly lost the baby, however she says Cannella didn’t offer her the support she so desperately needed.
She says: “Jamie couldn’t have cared less.
“While I ran out of the room after the sonographer confirmed there was no heartbeat, he barked ‘you’re an embarrassment’, it was awful.”
Over the following years, Danielle walked on eggshells around Cannella before eventually falling pregnant again.
Terrified of Cannella’s reaction, she kept it secret until she was five weeks along and he pushed her down the stairs.
As she tumbled she revealed that she was expecting once again.
Danielle says: “Thankfully at an ultrasound the following week showed the baby was OK.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a - available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
“And at first Jamie was excited.
“But when he found out it was a girl, he complained he wanted a boy.
“Nothing I ever did was good enough.”
Cannella’s violent outbursts continued and when their daughter, Vallentina, now two, was born in April 2022, his abuse continued.
Soon after, he punched Danielle in the face during an argument and when she tried to escape, he blocked her way.
Danielle called her auntie for help who notified the police.
Cannella was arrested but Danielle, terrified of the prospect of being a single mum, didn’t press charges again.
In December 2023, Danielle was dealt a further blow when she discovered he’d been seeing an ex.
She says: “When I confronted him, he punched me in the face.
“Then he grabbed my hair and dragged me around the hallway. He then pounded the side of my head, before stomping on my back.”
Cannella wasn’t finished.
As Danielle went to comfort her baby, who was crying, he pushed her against the wall, placing his arm against her neck.
She remembers: “I couldn’t breathe. His eyes were black with rage.
“He told me ‘I’m going to put you to sleep’.
“Thinking he’d kill me, I lashed out. Holding his keys, I scratched his nose.”
After releasing his arm, Cannella yelled for an ambulance, before strangling Danielle again.
Bizarrely, when the assault was over, he called the police, claiming Danielle had a knife and was threatening to ‘kill herself’.
While Danielle dropped her daughter at a neighbour’s, five officers attended the address.
Cannella tried to convince them Danielle was ‘out of her mind’.
Danielle recalls: “One male officer took me aside in the kitchen and I was hysterically telling them about his attacks.
“Despite visible bruising over my face and body, including red marks to my neck and clumps of hair missing, he told me I was under arrest.”
For the first time in years, I’m thankful to be living my life free from fear and violence
Danielle Secker
With that, she was handcuffed and escorted to a police van.
At the station she was booked in, but upon seeing her injuries, an officer drove her to Bedford Hospital.
Thankfully, a CT scan showed everything was normal.
Danielle explains: “I was taken back to the station where officers interviewed me.
“I revealed all about Jamie’s abuse.
“Yet I was kept in a cell for hours.”
“The following morning, I was released with no further action.”
Meanwhile, Cannella had been arrested and charged with controlling and coercive behaviour, intentional strangulation and actual bodily harm.
He denied all the charges.
In February 2024, before the trial, Danielle received a written apology from Bedfordshire Police in relation to her arrest.
The investigation into conduct said that the management and decision making during the incident was ‘extremely poor’ and they ensure that ‘learning is taken from this incident to ensure it never happens again’.
Danielle says: “I’m still angry at the way they treated me as a victim of domestic abuse but glad that they decided to use what happened as a lesson and to implement better training for their officers in domestic abuse cases.
“Hopefully it’ll never happen to anyone else.”
In June 2024, Danielle bravely gave evidence against Cannella at court before he was found guilty and caged for five years and handed a restraining order.
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She says: “For the first time in years, I’m thankful to be living my life free from fear and violence.”
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