Police saved my life – the horrors of domestic violence

A young woman from Dorset, subjected to a series of atrocious and sickening beatings with a baseball bat by her partner, has spoken out about the ordeal and praised Dorset Police for their efforts in the investigation, which ultimately led to his conviction.

Dorset Police described the assaults on Joanna Doe, 25, from Bournemouth, as one of the most complex domestic violence cases they have ever dealt with.

Now living in another part of the country, Joanna suffered from a number of vicious beatings from John Porter, 30, of Farwell Road in Poole between 2006 and 2008. 

Many of the assaults – in which Porter used a machete, baseball bat and cans of dog food to inflict injuries on Joanna - happened at a caravan site in Wareham.

Speaking for the first time in public since the frightening attacks, Joanna admitted that if she hadn’t plucked up the courage to report the assaults to the police, she may have died as a result of the endless beatings.

She said: “I was regularly beaten by John, especially when he had had a bad day at work or he’d had an argument with someone else. My stomach used to churn when I knew he was about to come home. He would take all his anger out on me and even his own dogs.

“One minute he would be really nice - giving me a cuddle and saying that he loved me - but suddenly he would change, especially if I had said something wrong or talked about my friends and family. Drink and drugs would always make the situation worse.”

Joanna explained how it was almost impossible to protect herself when she was being beaten. She said: “I would try to put my hands and arms up to protect my face and head most of the time, this wouldn’t help. He hit me so hard using various items that I wouldn’t recognise myself as I was literally battered from head to toe. I’ve had my head split open on several occasions, several broken noses, a broken jaw, broken ribs, a fractured arm, suffered cuts and severe bruising on almost every part of my body.

“The worst thing was that I was alone and John didn’t allow me to go out of the trailer, so I wasn’t able to tell anyone what I was going through. I was cut off from my friends and family, and John would threaten my family if I ever tried to leave or go anywhere else. I was also too scared to leave, as I knew he would find me and beat me even more.”

Joanna said that when she did manage to get away and contact the police, John would drive her to the police station and force her to withdraw her statements, she added: “He would threaten my family if I didn’t do what he said.”

In April 2008, after another assault which resulted in a broken arm, Joanna managed to get away to a safe place. However, John made contact with her and she went back. During this visit, Joanna was assaulted again - this time John used a baseball ball in the attack. Joanna was taken to Dorset County Hospital and the police were contacted.

The 25-year-old wishes to express her sincere thanks to the dedicated police team that worked on her case. She said: “I was so impressed with how the police dealt with the situation - from the moment John was arrested; I was their number one priority. I was put in a safe place and at all times, I felt protected and secure. Even my family were protected and reassured at every stage whilst officers kept in constant contact throughout and after the case had closed.

“I am astounded as to the length and breadth of the police’s involvement – from the protection of my family and I, keeping us informed of the investigation and getting us in touch with help, support and advice from other agencies. I would certainly advise other sufferers of domestic violence to not be frightened to tell the police – they take it extremely seriously and work tirelessly in your best interests. I have only good things to say about the officers from Dorset Police. They have literally helped save my life.”

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Stewart Dipple, said: “This was one of the most serious cases of domestic violence Dorset Police has ever dealt with. A dedicated police team spent hundreds of hours working on this time - consuming investigation - this work ultimately led to Porter’s conviction in 2009. I especially wish to thank Joanna for her brave co-operation during the investigation and court process – she gave a really excellent account when giving evidence during the trial.

“We work very closely on a daily basis with a host of other agencies including Domestic Violence co-ordinator for the local authority, social services, health and other statutory and voluntary organisations, to ensure victims are safe. We take cases of domestic violence extremely seriously and on receipt of a report, our first priority is to protect the victim and their family. We have the resources to ensure that the victim and an entire family can be protected – if needed. We can help relocate a victim to ensure protection and safety for a lifetime.

“The initial investigation involved uniformed officers from across Dorset Police but the main investigation was undertaken by a committed team of detectives from Bournemouth CID. Their achievement of dealing with this intricate and difficult case is a testament to the skill and determination of these officers.”

In 2009, Porter was convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, wounding with intent and one count of intending to pervert the course of justice and one count of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Following a trial at Bournemouth Crown Court, a judge sentenced Porter to 16 years in jail, serving a minimum of eight years and he is subject to an indeterminate public protection order. An IPP is a new kind of open ended "life" sentence.  There is no release date and the prisoner does not get out until a parole board decides he or she is no longer a risk to the public.

For more information on how to get support and advice on domestic violence – visit www.dorset.police.uk

Between April 2008 and March 2009, Dorset Police investigated 3,110 domestic violence crimes.