A BETTWS woman is urging victims of domestic violence to find the courage to report assaults after her partner was jailed for attacking her.

Natalie Griffiths, 25, of Monnow Walk, was severely bruised, swollen and shocked, after her partner of two years, Wiliam Patrick, attacked her and her mother, Jean Berry, in front of Ms Griffiths’s five-year-old daughter.

Patrick, 24, of Trent Road, was jailed for six months in Newport magistrates court last week, having previously admitted assaulting the two women by beating.

The court heard how the couple's relationship had been going down hill for months.

On the afternoon of September 13 Patrick went round to Ms Griffiths’ mother’s house to get a key to their home, pushed past Mrs Berry and pushed Ms Griffiths over when she refused to give it to him.

Mrs Berry tried to pull him off, but he pushed her again and began punching Ms Griffiths in front of her daughter.

Ms Griffiths blacked out and when she regained consciousness Patrick had gone.

He was later arrested and Ms Griffiths was treated for severe bruising to her eye area, side of face and scalp. She also suffered considerable swelling, while Mrs Berry suffered facial injuries.

The court heard Patrick was ashamed of the incident and was under the influence of drugs when it happened and he had attacked her before on Christmas Day.

Speaking after the court case Ms Griffiths said that after the second attack and living in fear after numerous threats from her former partner of violence, she knew she had to press charges.

She claims the defendant had been harassing her before the second attack and while they were in the process of breaking up, she was going to have panic alarms fitted in her home to make her feel safe.

" If I saw him I would start shaking and everything. I was too frightened to go out, but I thought I wasn’t going to let him get to me," she added.

“I got to the point when I thought I just have to go through with it this time because I knew he wouldn’t stop."

Ms Griffiths said although it was hard to go to the police and press charges, her family gave her support and more victims should report assaults.

She said: “It’s hard to go through it all but it’s worth it because now the police have actually done something about it. No one should have to put up with it."

  • If you are the victim of domestic violence contact Gwent Police on 01633 838111 or the National Domestic Violence helpline on 0808 2000 247.