A woman has spoken out about being sentenced to nearly three years in prison for a crime she was forced to commit by her violent ex-partner. Standing in the dock, she heard the judge warn that having children would not prevent a custodial sentence.
She had pleaded guilty to theft, hoping the court would see she was taking responsibility and show leniency, given she was coerced. Instead, she served almost three years behind bars and on licence, a consequence she attributes directly to the abuse she suffered.
A Relationship Built on Lies and Violence
The woman, who we are calling Anna to protect her identity, met Sean* on a dating app in 2016. He presented himself as a good man with a stable job and two children. She was unaware of his extensive criminal record.
The abuse began just months into the relationship, starting with a hit during an argument at her home. It rapidly escalated into severe, relentless violence. Sean once beat her so badly she could only drink through a straw for three weeks. The attacks were not confined to private spaces; he would assault her in public, smashing her head into car windows or jumping on her foot with full force.
Around eight months into the relationship, police contacted Anna under Clare’s Law, revealing Sean’s history of domestic violence convictions. This prompted her first attempt to leave, but it failed. "No matter what I did, he’d manage to fill my head with nonsense and I’d wind up going back to him," she recalls. Each return was met with renewed violence.
Coerced into Crime: Stealing to Protect Loved Ones
During this period, Anna worked as a PA for a solicitor, with sole responsibility for paying invoices and wages. Sean, who had already spent a £10,000 inheritance she received on drugs, began making threats.
He threatened to harm her children and her elderly boss if she did not steal money from the business to fund his drug habit. Terrified for their safety, Anna felt she had no choice. Over 18 months, she withdrew a total of £98,000, handing it over whenever he demanded.
The theft was discovered only when a bank cashier questioned unusual deposits in front of her employer. Anna was arrested at the bank that same day in 2018 and released on bail. Even then, Sean did not leave her alone, insisting they find "other methods of making money."
Double Ordeal: Escape from Abuse, Then a Prison Sentence
Anna finally escaped Sean in February 2019 when police forced entry to arrest him for a separate offence. Officers informed her they were investigating reports from her daughter about the violence she endured. Sean was subsequently convicted of common assault and assault against a child, receiving a custodial sentence and a two-year restraining order.
However, Anna’s ordeal was not over. In Autumn 2021, she was charged with fraud by abuse of position. Despite mitigation arguments detailing the coercion she faced, she was given a five-year sentence, later reduced on appeal to two years and seven months.
She served 13 months in prison before being released on licence. "I understand that I had done a terrible thing and that there needed to be consequences," she states. "But I feel like the courts didn’t take into account the fact that I had two profoundly disabled children and a 13-month-old son to look after."
Now free for three years, Anna runs her own aesthetics business and is rebuilding her life. Sean remains a threat, currently incarcerated for his eighth breach of a lifetime restraining order. He has been arrested three times this year alone.
Anna’s story highlights a critical gap in the justice system. "Yes, I committed a crime, but we must not forget that I was a victim first," she asserts. "The courts and justice system need to look at how they treat victims of abuse, even when they have committed crimes."
*Name has been changed.
