Paralysed Woman's Brave Nod Exposes Boyfriend's Brutal Attack
A woman who was left paralysed after her boyfriend snapped her neck during a violent assault has shown incredible bravery by nodding "yes" when hospital staff asked if he was responsible for her injuries. Robert Easom, 57, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for what the judge described as a "ferocious attack" that severed his partner's spinal cord.
Years of Coercive Control Culminate in Brutal Violence
Trudi Burgess, 57, had endured eight years of controlling, coercive, and violent behaviour from Easom before the final attack on February 17 last year. She had documented the assaults on her phone and described how what she called "low-level events" became normalised in their relationship.
Ms Burgess told the court she lived in a cycle where Easom would be verbally or physically abusive, then apologetic and affectionate. When she finally told him she was leaving him, he responded with the attack that changed her life forever.
The Moment That Changed Everything
"I felt my head was being folded into my body, my head completely into my chest and I felt it crack and I felt all feeling going out of my body," Ms Burgess testified. "I thought I am dying. He is not stopping and he was shouting 'I will shut you up, shut up, I will f***ing shut you up' and he was pushing like a monster."
Despite the severity of the attack, Easom initially claimed Ms Burgess had "an accident" and "fallen out of bed" when calling for an ambulance. While waiting for medical help, he pressured her to agree to say the injury happened during play-fighting, complaining he would lose his job and contact with his sons if the truth came out.
A Brave Decision to Tell the Truth
Once in hospital and removed from Easom's influence, Ms Burgess bravely resolved to tell the truth. When asked by medical staff if Easom had hurt her, she nodded in confirmation, beginning the process that would lead to his conviction.
Sentencing Easom at Preston Crown Court, Judge Robert Altham KC told the landscape gardener: "In the aftermath of the incident itself you were concerned only with yourself." The judge noted that once at hospital and able to contemplate her true situation, Ms Burgess "bravely resolved to tell the truth."
Life-Altering Consequences
In a powerful victim impact statement read to the court, Ms Burgess described how the attack has devastated her life. "This crime has taken away everything I built, planned for and enjoyed," she said. "It has robbed me of my health, my independence, my ability to care for my family, my career, my freedom and my peace of mind."
She added: "Each day is a physical, emotional and mental battle. This injury is permanent. I will never get back the life I had. I now live with constant pain, with limitations and heartbreak."
A Warning to Others
Ms Burgess also expressed concern for anyone who might become involved with Easom in the future. "He has a true Jekyll and Hyde personality," she warned. "He could be a loving and attentive partner and then he could switch in a moment into a truly terrifying monster."
Speaking outside court on her behalf, Ms Burgess's brother Charlie said: "Domestic abuse rarely begins with physical violence. At the beginning, abuse can be subtle, through manipulation and small behaviours that chip away at your confidence."
He added: "If my voice can help even one woman leave before violence escalates, then something positive will have come from all of this."
Justice Served
Easom, formerly of Longridge Road, Chipping, was convicted by a jury of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He had previously admitted to engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour between July 2017 and February 2025, as well as two offences of actual bodily harm.
In addition to the 16-year prison sentence, Easom must serve an extended licence period of four years. The court heard that teacher Ms Burgess was paralysed from the chest downwards after Easom placed his hands on her head while she was kneeling and pushed down with all his strength.
Following the sentencing, Alison Wolstenholme of the Crown Prosecution Service said: "The incredible strength shown by the victim during this prosecution cannot be overstated. Her support has allowed us to bring the strongest possible case against a dangerous abuser and ensure he faces the full force of the law."
Detective Constable Bethanie Kirk from Lancashire Constabulary added: "Robert Easom is a manipulative, controlling and cowardly individual with a warped sense of entitlement and repulsive views towards women. His reckless and repulsive actions could have very easily led to Trudi's death."
