The four devastating words that saw her world come crashing down

"Your boyfriend did it." Until Emily Lewis heard these words, she had no idea what happened.

She had woken up in hospital with horrific injuries to her face and head. Moments later, her whole world came crashing down.

Emily had been in a relationship with Thomas Jones for three years before he beat her and strangled her while high on cocaine and alcohol, Wales Online reports.. The attack, which happened overnight between February 18 and 19 last year, saw Emily sustain a head injury 8cm long, 4cm wide, and so deep it reached her skull. Jones also fractured Emily’s cheekbone and left her with bruising all over her face and body.

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Having had 19 stitches and being “green in the face” with bruises for weeks Emily is now physically and emotionally scarred for life. Jones, who has no previous convictions, has now been sent to prison following a sentencing at Swansea Crown Court.

Emily has bravely decided to speak out about Jones’ actions to raise awareness of domestic abuse and its consequences. The 24-year-old from Neath said: ”I am speaking out because I want to help other women. No matter how minimal what someone has done to you you should always report it because it could help others. I want to empower women to get these people convicted.”

Emily said she and Jones had been together for three years before the attack happened. Although she said their relationship wasn’t always perfect she said in general there were no obvious signs that he would ever physically harm her.

She said: “During our relationship he was never massively aggressive to me. In the year leading up to it I thought he had a drinking problem because he would go out