Domestic violence victim was battered for FIVE HOURS by boyfriend who bragged about beating her on Valentine’s Day
AS most couples prepare to celebrate their loving relationships on Valentine’s Day, victims of domestic abuse will be bracing themselves for a holiday which is anything but rosy.
Every year, police across Britain prepare for a surge of battered women reporting abuse on February 14. While Welsh Women's Aid have reported a year-on-year increase for domestic violence calls on Valentine's Day itself.
In England and Wales, two women are killed by their boyfriend, husband or ex every single week.
And fearing you will die at the hands of your partner is a terrifying reality that survivor Kaylin Mauchlen, from Shropshire, recognises all too well.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun Online, the 24-year-old revealed how her ‘jealous’ ex Luke Strain, who once battered her with a baseball bat for FIVE HOURS, boasted to his mates about beating her up on Valentine’s Day 2013.
Related Stories
Waitress Kaylin said: “He bragged about how he would give me a slap if I deserved it, and said women needed to know their place.
“All I wanted was some form of affection, a hug or a kiss, but instead he bragged about how he abused me.
“I left the house and just ran, but he got in my car and he caught me. I don’t remember much after that.”
Strain knew Kaylin for two years before they started dating in September 2012 – and, according to Kaylin, he was a perfect gentleman while pursuing her.
She added: “He was charming and told me he would treat me like a princess. I fell for him hook, line and sinker.”
However, things soon turned sour – and Strain first attacked Kaylin at their flat in February 2013, just days before Valentine’s Day.
She said: “He always said he would hurt me, so I challenged him on it. I said he was like a 50p coin, you never knew what side he would land on.
“He then charged over to the sofa and started punching me and kicking me, until I kicked him back in the face. I was in shock and I couldn’t move or speak.”
Beatings like this one soon became a daily occurrence and, in the months that followed, Kaylin attempted to leave Strain several times.
His insistence that he loved her drew the ‘naïve’ youngster, who was just 20 at the time, back into his clasp – and left Kaylin’s relationship with her mum and sister at breaking point.
But the affection never lasted for long, and Kaylin was hospitalised twice for her injuries during their relationship.
Kaylin said: “He would tell me I was ugly, fat. He would say he was going to drown me in the bath.
“He broke me down to nothing. He said I wasn’t worth the air to breathe. I was broken, had no confidence, felt worthless and like I meant nothing to anybody.”
Strain would accuse Kaylin of sleeping with customers on the tables at work because of her bruised legs - bruises HE'D given her - and then label her ‘lazy’ if she stayed at home scared.
But something clicked within Kaylin after the final attack, which happened on the first Friday of July 2013. It was at that point she realised she would die at Luke’s hands if she didn’t leave him.
Kaylin added: “He hit me for five hours with a baseball bat. He threw me around like a rag doll.
“I was punched and kicked, I was on the floor in a corner when he was doing this.
“He followed me around the flat, pulling my hair, smashing my head against the walls and cupboard corners, throwing things at me, strangling me.”
Kaylin sought refuge by locking herself in the bathroom with her kitten Misty, where she said she realised she wouldn’t be alive by Saturday night if she didn’t escape.
She fled to her local library, where a librarian took one look at Kaylin’s bruised and battered face, and invited her into a private room.
Kaylin was taken to hospital, where she was kept overnight and for much of the next day, and nurses urged her to pluck up the courage to speak to police.
Strain was eventually jailed, while Kaylin was left with a suspected fractured arm, serious blood loss, a black eye and concussion.
Kaylin is now engaged to her new partner Damien, who she has been dating for three and a half years.
She said: “Deej makes me the happiest person alive. He’s helped me grow and become confident again.
“He treats me like a queen, and will do anything within his power to make me happy. Deej is my everything and I wouldn’t be here today without him.
“He showed me a new life and one that was better than I could ever have hoped for.”
Strain pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was jailed for 16 months at Shrewsbury Crown Court on October 16 2013.
He was released early, and let out the following March, although there is a restraining order in place to prevent him from contacting Kaylin.
Refuge CEO Sandra Horley CBE said: “Thousands of women and children will be spending this Valentine’s Day, like every other day of the year, in fear and terror.
“Domestic violence is the biggest issue affecting women in this country.
“One in four will experience domestic violence in her lifetime and two women a week are killed by a current or former partner. These statistics are shocking.
“Refuge is urging anyone who is experiencing abuse on Valentine’s Day, or any day of the year, to reach out and access support.”
If you’re experiencing domestic violence, you’re not alone. Please visit the website for help.