My evil ex battered me to within an inch of my life – but when he was arrested then RELEASED my nightmare got even worse

A WOMAN who was nearly killed by her evil ex-boyfriend fears that he will come for her once he is released from prison.

Holly Mewis, 29, met Tavien Sutton, 29, in January this year and he moved into her house within weeks in a whirlwind relationship described as "toxic".

Sutton, who Holly described as having a terrible drinking problem, subjected her to a series of violent attacks in the space of just months.

The brutal assaults saw Holly left with severe injuries including a brain bleed, a haemorrhaged eye socket and a broken nose.

Sutton, of Chapel Lane, Bingley, was jailed at Bradford Crown court for five and a half years after he pleaded guilty to charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, assault and making a threat to kill.

But the mental scars of the trauma have left Holly facing nightmares and “horrible flashbacks” and she is taking tablets for depression and anxiety.

Now, Holly has bravely chosen to speak out about the full extent of her ordeal in an exclusive chat with The Sun.

Speaking after Sutton's sentencing, she said: "He could be out walking the streets in three and a half years time, it's not long enough for what he's put me through.

"I don't think they took into consideration how badly he attacked me. I feel scared, absolutely petrified that he could be out so soon.

"I dread to think what he's going to do or get somebody to do. I'm 100 per cent sure he's going to contact me and I don't have faith in the police.

"He is a dangerous, cruel man and should be kept behind bars."

Holly recalled the first time Sutton attacked her, just weeks after moving in with her.

The 29-year-old said that Sutton had asked her to wake him up for a Leeds United game in February 2024 but kicked off after she did this "half an hour too early".

She told The Sun: "I was terrified, we had previously had verbal arguments but this was a lot worse and he totally flipped out.

"Tavien threw a vape at me and it cut my leg open."

They reconciled and at that point, the incident was not reported to police.

But looking back, Holly recalled the haunting warnings her ex-boyfriend had given her before the physical abuse started.

She told us: "Tavien had bragged about beating up his ex and said 'this is what I'm capable of, you don't want me to do the same to you'."

Unfortunately, the first incident was just a sign of things to come and the "toxic" and "abusive" relationship escalated a month later.

Holly was recovering from a stomach procedure in hospital, when she found some messages on Sutton's phone planning to meet up with an ex-girlfriend.

But when she confronted him, the sick thug flew into an uncontrollable rage.

Holly said: "He said he would put me back in hospital and I'd wake up with blood coming out my ears.

"He then just booted me in the mouth full force, I was dizzy. My mouth and nose were just pouring with blood.

"I've never even been in a fight my head wobbled and I didn't know what to do.

"He picked up a TV as if to throw it at me before picking up a bedside table and launching it at my chest.

"I was in shock but he picked it up again, luckily it missed me and hit the wall this time."

Holly fled upstairs to ring the police, but was forced to hang up as Sutton barged in and demanded she get off the phone.

"He said he would put me back in hospital and I'd wake up with blood coming out my ears."

Holly Mewis, 29

Thankfully for Holly, she had her friend listening in on speaker phone during the whole attack and the pal had rung the police immediately after Holly's initial call ended.

Sutton was arrested shortly after when officers arrived.

Holly, who was taken to hospital by paramedics at the scene, said: "The top of my gum had disconnected from my mouth, I was in unimaginable pain."

Sutton was kept in cells overnight for questioning but he was released with bail conditions and things spiralled further from here.

West Yorkshire Police officers told Holly that Sutton needed to come back to pick up some things from the apartment they shared including his bank card and phone.

This was despite bail conditions indicating Sutton should not contact her or return to the apartment in Bingley.

However, Holly claims that officers promised her they would be there at all times when she came to let Tavien into the property.

Instead, police dropped Sutton off with a frightened Holly before leaving the premises shortly after, she said.

TRAUMA BOND

Holly recalls: "I was too terrified to tell her friends and family about him being on bail.

"There was a trauma bond and once he came back he continued to love bomb me and I was trapped, I just didn't know it so I didn't say anything and ended up living with him again."

At one point Tavien snuck on her phone and used the 101 live chat function in an attempt to get rid of any charges and make Holly look like she didn't want to go ahead with the prosecution.

Two to three weeks later, cops messaged Holly saying the case had been dropped.

Meanwhile, Holly said Sutton continued to gamble all her money, spending all her wages while he was at work and drinking heavily.

She later found out that Sutton had to flee his place and initially moved in with her as he had ended up in severe debt.

Holly estimates that he gambled away about £1,500 of her money during their short time together.

Brave Holly continued : "I hated Fridays, I was terrified of them, he would get paid and then gamble everything by the time I would wake up.

"And then he'd take it out on me. My friend warned me 'one day he's going to kill you he won't stop'.

"I knew, if I didn't manage to escape this, I wouldn't get out of this relationship alive.

"But the stuff he was saying was the right stuff, I believed him. I believed it was an accident. I couldn't have been more wrong."

"I knew, if I didn't get out of this I wouldn't get out of this relationship alive."

Holly Mewis, 29

The third and final attack was the most brutal of all and nearly saw Holly lose her life.

It should have been a happy occasion, as Holly woke up excited to celebrate her birthday with her friend on April 19.

Sutton, was initially going to work at his job as a chef, rang in sick so he could go with her as he didn't want Holly going out alone with her pal.

Holly recalled how the night was a good one for the first few hours, she went out for drinks with Sutton as well as her friend and her partner.

She said: "Everything was okay til we returned home and he started talking about his ex again.

"I complained and he just started ranting said about how ungrateful I was and it all just escalated."

Sutton, who Holly said was drunk at this point and had also consumed cocaine, then turned the altercation physical in the early hours of April 20.

Holly said: "He pushed me onto the bed and we had a bit of a scuffle. I'd never done anything back to him but he was punching me repeatedly so I kicked a leg out instinctively and he was near my feet.

"Tavien then stepped back and said his mouth was bleeding but there was absolutely nothing. He stormed off to the bathroom.

"I went to bed and lay there with my head on the side, it was quite a low bed and I just wanted to sleep at this point.

"But after three or four minutes he came back and stamped on the side of my head, really hard, it was brutal.

"I can't remember much but I got flat on my back and tried to protect myself as he punched me in the head repeatedly.

"He knocked me out, he was on top of me and there was actually a foot mark left on my head. I remember thinking this could be the end."

'PURE EVIL'

Holly recalls how Tavien thought he had killed her and said she could remember him screaming and crying her name as he tried to get her to come round at around 2am.

When she did, the twisted abuser simply said: "I just rocked your world."

Holly, who was now in a blur and feeling dizzy from her injuries, added: "I was pouring with blood, throwing up blood and he followed me upstairs to another room.

"I passed out in the bathroom, when I woke up I tried to leave but he blocked the way,

"I realised I could not unlock the door without the key and I had no clue where my phone or anything was."

Sutton then threatened Holly that he would drag her back upstairs if she tried anything.

"I remember his face. He was in such a rage. He just looked pure evil, he wouldn't stop."

It was at this point Sutton picked up a knife and threatened to kill Holly and stab himself in the face, which he repeated several times.

A visibly shaken Holly recalled: "He told me that only one of us is going to get out of this alive, and he came in with a knife.

"I thought, 'this is really it now, I'm going to die, my life is done'.

"I backed up on the bed pleading for my life."

In order to save her life, brave Holly promised Sutton she would stay and tried everything to calm the enraged thug down and get him to sleep.

She then managed to collect her phone and keys before sneaking outside to phone for an ambulance which took her to hospital.

'MINUTES FROM DEATH'

Doctors told Holly how she had suffered multiple brain bleeds and if she had fallen asleep she could have easily died.

She also suffered a broken nose and a haemorrhaged eye socket with the bottom of her eyes still bloodshot months later.

Holly added: "Hearing my injuries being read out to me really scared me, I could've genuinely lost my life.

"I was scared when he did get the knife out but the actual attack was so vicious it nearly took my life. I was just minutes from death.

"My daughter nearly woke up without a mum that day."

Holly has since moved out of the Bingley home that they briefly shared as it was covered in bloodstains from his attacks on her.

Sutton was remanded in HMP Leeds for three months but bombarded her with letters and phone calls saying he wanted to marry her.

He continued to make fake apologies and attempted to manipulate Holly further, even getting the partner of a cellmate to gift her with a puppy.

On one occasion Holly confessed to answering the phone as she was still too scared and stressed, only to find Sutton on the line.

When the thug answered he said: "You did this to me, you put me in prison, you put the person you love in prison."

The abuser initially pleaded not guilty to charges of wounding, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and making threats to kill - but changed his plea to guilty five days before the start of a trial.

His Honour Judge Ahmed Nadim sentenced Sutton to five-and-a-half years in prison for wounding plus 18 months for the ABH offences and three-and-a-half years for the threats to kill, all to be served concurrently.

Passing sentence Judge Nadim said Sutton had conducted himself in a "most violent, shameful and disgraceful manner" during the relationship.

He said the victim was entitled to be treated with respect and to be protected from harm and told Sutton he "miserably failed to deliver that".

He also imposed an indefinite restraining order banning Sutton from having any contact with the victim.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman told The Sun: "Police were contacted on March 13 this year by a victim reporting she had been assaulted by a man and suffered facial injuries.  

"Officers arrested Tavien Sutton on suspicion of section 47 assault shortly after the report was made.   

"Sutton was later released on police bail with conditions set not to contact the victim or stay at the victim’s home.   

"We are reviewing our handling of the victim’s report on March 13  and wish to stress that reducing violence against women remains an absolute priority for West Yorkshire."