A 31-year-old woman, from County Durham, dumped her violent ex but he started stalking her and sending her death threats.
Melissa Weatherill thought her ex Karl Leighton would no longer bother her after a court restraining order but she was wrong.
Karl started stalking her, would send her death threats through voicemails, and even turned up outside Melissa’s kids’ school.
Melissa has recently shared her story of how Karl would get violent when they were in a relationship.
He cheated on Melissa with his ex but Melissa forgave him. However, he always treated Melissa like she was the cheat. He was a possessive and jealous boyfriend.
Melissa said: “Then one night in 2016, we had a little spat while out with friends. We carried on the party at our house, but Karl was in a terrible mood.”
“Later that night, when everyone had left and I went upstairs to bed, I gently shook him awake. Suddenly, he spun round and grabbed me by the hair. Slamming me onto the bed, he wrapped his hands around my throat.”
Melissa was left terrified and he ended up punching a hole in the door. Melissa ran downstairs but Karl managed to stop her and pushed her down the stairs.
She said: “‘Go on then, cry like the little victim you are,’ he sneered, slapping me across the face. Karl was an ex-boxer, and I was scared he’d do even more damage.”
Melissa cried for help and then she managed to run out of the house. She asked a shopkeeper for help and he called the police.
Karl pleaded guilty to assault and was ordered to stay away from Melissa.
However, he called after a few months and said he was sorry. Melissa, who still loved him, decided to give him a second chance.
Everything went well for a few months but he started getting violent again. Police issued Karl with a harassment warning in October 2016 after he tried to hurt Melissa but again, she gave him another chance and they moved to a new place.
Melissa said: “After we moved, Karl became even more controlling. I had to FaceTime him during every break at work, and if I was five minutes late home he kicked off.”
“He stopped me seeing friends and made me quit social media.”
One day, when he stopped Melissa from going to pick up her kids from school saying he couldn’t trust she doesn’t talk to other men, Melissa decided to dump him.
In May 2018, when Karl dragged Melissa’s daughter downstairs and shoved her in a chair at the kitchen table just for playing with makeup, Melissa kicked him out of the house.
She said: “When I saw the look of terror in my little girl’s face, it was the final straw. “We’re done,” I told him firmly. ‘Please leave.’”
Melissa blocked his number and moved on but she got a voicemail from him after a few months and Karl kept asking to forgive him.
When Melissa ignored his voicemail’s, he said: “Wait until I see you, I won’t be responsible for what I do.”
He would leave her hundreds of messages every week every time with a new number. He had hacked her emails and would send death threats.
His one voicemail was: “I’d prefer you dead than with anyone else. If you ever move on, I’ll stab you.”
That’s when Melissa called the police and they arrested Karl and found two phones and a tablet he was using to harass Melissa.
He was jailed for 32 weeks and was given a lifetime restraining order.
However, just two weeks later, she saw Karl on the street and decided to move to a new town.
Melissa said: “All of us are having counselling to try and deal with what happened. The kids still find it tough, but we’re getting through it together.”
“I still get scared that Karl might find out where we are and come after me, and I find it hard to trust men at all now.”
Melissa and her kids are now living in a new town and Melissa is happy she could get rid of her violent ex.
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