I uncovered my ‘charming’ boyfriend’s affair… when I confronted him he broke into my flat & flew at me with glass bottle
WAKING up in the black of night, Paige Woodward was greeted by the horrifying figure of her seething ex standing over her with a glass bottle in her hand.
The 29-year-old, from Leeds, West Yorks, had broken things off with her partner, Ross Komoroczky, 37, after discovering he was having an affair.
He responded by slashing and stamping on Paige in a cruel assault that saw her nearly bleed to death, undergo emergency surgery and nearly die from sepsis.
Now, she’s bravely speaking out to encourage other victims to leave their abusive partners.
Paige, a receptionist, says: “At first, I loved that Ross was a bodybuilder with bulging biceps.
“But I soon became his vulnerable prey, and he replaced punching bags with me.
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“Now my nasty scar is a constantly reminder of the attack that day, but the mental scars he has left me with are worse, after nearly losing my life.
“I urge any women hearing my story to not ignore any red flags like I did. Trust your gut before it’s too late.”
When Paige met Komoroczky in July 2019, he had been a bodybuilder for five years, and competed in national competitions across the UK.
Paige says: “Ross was incredibly charming. He promised to take care of me and always said he’d never hurt me.
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“I fell in love, and within just a month he was living in my flat. Then lockdown hit the next year and we enjoyed going for romantic strolls and cooking dinner together every night. He made me feel so special.”
But when the Covid-19 lockdown ended in 2020, and everything opened again, Komoroczky began going to the gym every day and took steroids for competitions.
Paige says: “He went from loving, to irritable and erratic.
“One day it was mum’s birthday, who had passed in 2017 from sepsis. I had a mental breakdown.
“Out of nowhere Ross grabbed me and told me to get a grip of my life. He became aggressive and I’d never seen that side of him.
“After he kept apologising and I told myself it was a one-off. But after that, he was angry and mean every day.
“My life became hell. He turned into a different man.”
Soon Komoroczky stopped Paige from using her phone and going out, isolating her from family and friends.
She walked on eggshells around the house, terrified of him lashing out at her.
Paige says: “Then one day he was yelling and called me another woman’s name. I was confused and asked him who it was. But he denied saying it.
“For weeks I wondered if he was cheating, and he’d tell me I was poorly and that it was all in my head.
“He made me feel like I’d imagined it. I was in such a bad place, I questioned myself.”
Giveaway sign
But in July 2022, Paige and Komoroczky went out for dinner and drinks.
When they got home, Paige saw the same woman’s name flash up on his phone with a heart emoji next to it.
After confronting Komoroczky, he refused to show her his contact list, and she forced him out of her flat.
Paige says: “Heartbroken, I locked the door and burst into tears. I deserved better.
“Shortly after, Ross texted me to go kill myself and that I was fat and disgusting.
“Sobbing, I put myself to bed, wanting to shut it all out.”
But hours later, Paige woke up to Komoroczky stood over her, clutching a glass bottle of beer.
She realised he’d broken in and began shouting at him to get out and that the relationship was done.
Paige says: “Suddenly, Ross smashed the bottle on to my head. I saw stars.
“Blood poured down my face. I was hysterical. I leapt off the bed and cowered in a corner of the room.
“Ross walked towards me with the broken bottle neck in his hand and I was screaming for help, hoping a neighbour would hear. But no-one came.
“Ross tried to stab me in the head with it, but I blocked it with my arm. The bottle neck slashed through my skin and got stuck.
“I cried in agony as he pulled the bottle out and more blood gushed out.”
Paige blacked out, and minutes later, she woke to Komoroczky stamping on her head.
She says: “He kept screaming that I was a bitch and that I deserved it. Each blow to my head and my body was agony. I knew I was going to die.
“But somehow I mustered the strength to get up and flung my bedroom door at him before escaping outside.
“Ross caught me and began flinging me around. I managed to escape again to the carpark, and he started chasing me.
“But thankfully neighbours appeared above us from their flats, and called the police. Within minutes I heard sirens.
“At this point I was losing so much blood I felt woozy and was on the verge of passing out again.”
Police officers swarmed the carpark and arrested Komoroczky, who was covered in Paige’s blood head-to-toe.
Paige was blue-lighted in an ambulance to Leeds General Infirmary hospital.
There, she underwent emergency surgery where doctors worked on the gaping gash in her arm, and she received seven stitches with a fishing wire.
Days later she was discharged from hospital, but a week after that, she began feeling hot and cold and couldn’t stop being sick.
She was rushed back to hospital where she discovered she had a blood infection and sepsis from her wound.
Paige says: “I’d been moments away from death due to what Ross had done.
“Sepsis was how my mum died so it hit home even more for me. I was beside myself.
“Doctors managed to save me, and I was given meds through an IV drop.
“But my face was still black and blue. It was also twice the size from the attack.
“I couldn’t accept Ross had done this to me. I was heartbroken and came to finally realise I was a domestic violence victim.”
In January 2023, Komoroczky, from Armley, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and unlawful wounding at Leeds Crown Court.
He was sentenced to four years and 10 months.
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 – [email protected].
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.
Paige says: “Ross had made me lose myself over the years so I got cleaned up for court. I got my hair and nails done and even lost weight.
“I was determined to show him he didn’t knock me down and that I was stronger than ever.
“Now, he’s in bars where he belongs. But no sentence can make up for what he did to me.
“I still struggle now. Every glass bottle in a pub or restaurant makes me wince and I look over my shoulder a lot. I wake in sweats, crying, thinking of being killed.
“Looking back, I know Ross saw how vulnerable I was and he preyed on that.
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“I’m getting better and taking each day as it comes, and I’ve even met someone new. I’m slowly healing.
“Please seek help and support if you have experienced anything I did. I’m lucky to be alive.”