Domestic abuse victim’s 'five years of hell' when she was attacked every day - Cornwall Live
Domestic abuse victim’s 'five years of hell' when she was attacked every day
Christopher Sleep was jailed for six years this week for assaulting Sherelle Mooney, inset, who has received a number of injuries at his hands
A victim of domestic abuse who saw her attacker jailed for six years this week has spoken of her “five years of hell” at the hands of her former partner.
Sherelle Mooney spent 13 weeks in hospital with numerous broken bones after being violently shoved and attacked by her abusive ex-partner.
She has bravely decided to speak to Cornwall Live in a bid to help other women in abusive relationships.
Christopher Sleep, 36, assaulted Sherelle “almost every day for five years” but on the day in question he shoved her in the back so hard she was left in a pool of blood needing hospital treatment for a fractured tibia, a fractured wrist and cuts to the head.
Sherelle Mooney has spoken out in a bid to help other women trapped in abusive relationships
Sleep, of Fortescue Place, Lostwithiel, was on trial at Truro Crown Court last week charged with grievous bodily harm with intent.
The court heard that during the incident last August Sleep followed Sherelle to her friend’s house and said that if she didn’t leave with him he’d “smash her and her f***ing friend’s house”.
Justice Garnham jailed Sleep for six years. A new ten-year restraining order was also put in place and Sleep was ordered to complete a Building Better Relationships course while in custody.
Now, Sherelle – who has since moved back up north to start a new life – has spoken of her years of abuse while living with Sleep in Cornwall.
She says one incident was so bad she was knocked unconscious in front of the couple’s young daughter, who was then taken into care and is now due to be adopted.
About Harbour Housing and its plans for a new 12-unit facility
This comes as Harbour Housing has been contracted by Cornwall Council to help safeguard vulnerable women, who have complex needs including substance dependency, mental health and debt.
It will open a 12-unit self-contained facility in St Austell, where women will be able to get the help they need.
Funding for the contract comes from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s domestic abuse fund.
Traditional refuges are required to impose strict rules that can prevent society’s most vulnerable from accessing them. Before being accepted, women must show they have been free from drink or drugs for 13 weeks. Even owning a pet would prevent someone from getting a place.
Harbour, which also runs Cosgarne Hall, has been long been tolerant to homeless people with complex needs and understands that this dependency goes hand-in-hand with trauma, abuse and loss of housing.
Its drug-tolerant policy which is supported by Cornwall’s Drug and Alcohol Team, the charity Addaction, probation, police and other agencies, is now nationally acclaimed.
The policy prevents drug-related deaths and reduces the strain on emergency services whilst supporting people to recover from homelessness.
Harbour provides specialist support and access to counselling, education, training, volunteering, healthcare and positive activities on-site to all its residents and will extend this to the women who live in this new unit.
In 2017, Harbour designed and built three self-contained, secure units to run a self-funded pilot.
These currently remain the only three such units in the South West that accept women with complex needs who have experienced domestic abuse.
In the first 12 months, and because of Harbour’s tolerance and specialism, the three units provided homes for eleven women in total:
- Eight were fleeing domestic or sexual abuse
- Nine had issues with substance misuse
- 10 we suffering from mental health problems
- Three had dogs
As a result of the attacks, Sherelle now has a metal plate in her leg, nine screws in a knee and 11 pins in her wrist.
“Everything was fine at first. When I first moved to Cornwall ten years ago he became a great friend,” she told Cornwall Live. “But he changed once we were partners and living with him became horrendous.”
“He was so controlling. I couldn’t go to the toilet unless he told me I could,” she added. “The Monday before the incident he trapped me in the bedroom and started to rip up my clothes, and followed me to the toilet so I couldn't get out.
“There were times when he’d make me strip off my clothes so I wouldn’t escape the house, and he’d take my mobile phone away so I couldn’t call anyone for help.”
Just some of the injuries inflicted on Sherelle by Sleep
Sherelle, who lived with Sleep in St Austell, said: “I tried to leave him so many times, but I couldn’t escape him. He’d track me down and go to my friends’ houses to get me.
“It was torture.”
As well as living together in St Austell, Sherelle had her own flat in Bodmin but she says she couldn’t stay in it after Sleep threatened someone who lived there.
“I’ve lost count of how many times he hit me – it used to be nearly every day. He blackened my eye in front of children when we were babysitting and strangled me on and off for five years.”
Sherelle has spoken to Cornwall Live about her years of abuse because “I just want women to know that it’s not acceptable and I want to help others”.
She stressed: “I’d say to other women who are in abusive relationships, try and get out of it. Ring the police if you have to. You cannot live like this for the rest of your life. You need to be brave and stand up in court.
“People like him are capable of killing a woman – he’s going to end up doing time for murder.”
Sherelle added that she didn’t think the sentence reflected the “five years of hell I went through”.
Devon and Cornwall PoliceSuspect arrested after police officers kicked and spat at in CornwallPolice previously revealed that several people displaying coronavirus symptoms have been arrested
Domestic abuse victim’s 'five years of hell' when she was attacked every day - Cornwall Live
Domestic abuse victim’s 'five years of hell' when she was attacked every day
Christopher Sleep was jailed for six years this week for assaulting Sherelle Mooney, inset, who has received a number of injuries at his hands
A victim of domestic abuse who saw her attacker jailed for six years this week has spoken of her “five years of hell” at the hands of her former partner.
Sherelle Mooney spent 13 weeks in hospital with numerous broken bones after being violently shoved and attacked by her abusive ex-partner.
She has bravely decided to speak to Cornwall Live in a bid to help other women in abusive relationships.
Christopher Sleep, 36, assaulted Sherelle “almost every day for five years” but on the day in question he shoved her in the back so hard she was left in a pool of blood needing hospital treatment for a fractured tibia, a fractured wrist and cuts to the head.
Sherelle Mooney has spoken out in a bid to help other women trapped in abusive relationships
Sleep, of Fortescue Place, Lostwithiel, was on trial at Truro Crown Court last week charged with grievous bodily harm with intent.
The court heard that during the incident last August Sleep followed Sherelle to her friend’s house and said that if she didn’t leave with him he’d “smash her and her f***ing friend’s house”.
Justice Garnham jailed Sleep for six years. A new ten-year restraining order was also put in place and Sleep was ordered to complete a Building Better Relationships course while in custody.
Now, Sherelle – who has since moved back up north to start a new life – has spoken of her years of abuse while living with Sleep in Cornwall.
She says one incident was so bad she was knocked unconscious in front of the couple’s young daughter, who was then taken into care and is now due to be adopted.
About Harbour Housing and its plans for a new 12-unit facility
This comes as Harbour Housing has been contracted by Cornwall Council to help safeguard vulnerable women, who have complex needs including substance dependency, mental health and debt.
It will open a 12-unit self-contained facility in St Austell, where women will be able to get the help they need.
Funding for the contract comes from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s domestic abuse fund.
Traditional refuges are required to impose strict rules that can prevent society’s most vulnerable from accessing them. Before being accepted, women must show they have been free from drink or drugs for 13 weeks. Even owning a pet would prevent someone from getting a place.
Harbour, which also runs Cosgarne Hall, has been long been tolerant to homeless people with complex needs and understands that this dependency goes hand-in-hand with trauma, abuse and loss of housing.
Its drug-tolerant policy which is supported by Cornwall’s Drug and Alcohol Team, the charity Addaction, probation, police and other agencies, is now nation
ally acclaimed.
The policy prevents drug-related deaths and reduces the strain on emergency services whilst supporting people to recover from homelessness.
Harbour provides specialist support and access to counselling, education, training, volunteering, healthcare and positive activities on-site to all its residents and will extend this to the women who live in this new unit.
In 2017, Harbour designed and built three self-contained, secure units to run a self-funded pilot.
These currently remain the only three such units in the South West that accept women with complex needs who have experienced domestic abuse.
In the first 12 months, and because of Harbour’s tolerance and specialism, the three units provided homes for eleven women in total:
- Eight were fleeing domestic or sexual abuse
- Nine had issues with substance misuse
- 10 we suffering from mental health problems
- Three had dogs
As a result of the attacks, Sherelle now has a metal plate in her leg, nine screws in a knee and 11 pins in her wrist.
“Everything was fine at first. When I first moved to Cornwall ten years ago he became a great friend,” she told Cornwall Live. “But he changed once we were partners and living with him became horrendous.”
“He was so controlling. I couldn’t go to the toilet unless he told me I could,” she added. “The Monday before the incident he trapped me in the bedroom and started to rip up my clothes, and followed me to the toilet so I couldn't get out.
“There were times when he’d make me strip off my clothes so I wouldn’t escape the house, and he’d take my mobile phone away so I couldn’t call anyone for help.”
Just some of the injuries inflicted on Sherelle by Sleep
Sherelle, who lived with Sleep in St Austell, said: “I tried to leave him so many times, but I couldn’t escape him. He’d track me down and go to my friends’ houses to get me.
“It was torture.”
As well as living together in St Austell, Sherelle had her own flat in Bodmin but she says she couldn’t stay in it after Sleep threatened someone who lived there.
“I’ve lost count of how many times he hit me – it used to be nearly every day. He blackened my eye in front of children when we were babysitting and strangled me on and off for five years.”
Sherelle has spoken to Cornwall Live about her years of abuse because “I just want women to know that it’s not acceptable and I want to help others”.
She stressed: “I’d say to other women who are in abusive relationships, try and get out of it. Ring the police if you have to. You cannot live like this for the rest of your life. You need to be brave and stand up in court.
“People like him are capable of killing a woman – he’s going to end up doing time for murder.”
Sherelle added that she didn’t think the sentence reflected the “five years of hell I went through”.
Devon and Cornwall PoliceSuspect arrested after police officers kicked and spat at in CornwallPolice previously revealed that several people displaying coronavirus symptoms have been arrested