Domestic Abuse Team investigation helps jail ‘violent bully’
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After a weekend of constant physical attacks, she realised that her life was in danger. He had beaten and strangled her so badly in their hotel room that she was terrified.
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Seeing an opportunity to escape and get help, she ran to the hotel’s reception and the police were called. He was arrested there and then and taken into custody. Investigating Officer Molly Patterson, from the Domestic Abuse Team, investigated the violent assaults which had happened that weekend using images of her injuries, CCTV from the hotel and witness statements to corroborate her account. She was assigned an Independent Domestic Violence Advisor to support her through the investigation and court process. On 20 January, Jordan McFaulds, 25, from Lancashire, was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison at Guildford Crown Court after pleading guilty to two counts of common assault by beating, two counts of actual bodily harm and one of intentional strangulation. *
He was also handed a seven-year restraining order against her, after the Judge branded him a ‘violent bully’. Speaking to other victims of domestic abuse, she said: “As hard as it might feel to make the change and come forward, your life will never be as hard as it currently is. “You can feel empowered and be able to move forward to make your life anything you want it to be without the dead weight of an abusive relationship. “Surrey Police’s Domestic Abuse Team was absolutely amazing, especially Investigating Officer Molly Patterson. She treated me like an equal and re-empowered me. “I am extremely relieved that he is now in prison for what he did to me.” Investigating Officer Molly Patterson, said: “At the time of the initial report, she struggled to see a life outside of the abuse, but the bravery and tenacity she has shown throughout the investigation has proved that there is hope and there is life after domestic abuse. “We know that coming forward to police can feel like a huge, and perhaps scary, step to take, but there are lots of things we can do to safeguard and support you, from providing a domestic violence kit which restricts access to your property, all the way through to providing a dedicated advisor who will support you throughout the investigative process. “We have specialist people in place who want to help, so please do not suffer alone.” *The offences relate to assaults which happened on 16 September and 17 September 2022 both outside an address and at a hotel in Staines-upon-Thames. To access more information about domestic abuse, including how to report it and details of support organisations, please click here.
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