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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Ex being sentenced today. I need some hand holding

215 replies

MsMarthaMay · 04/09/2015 11:03

Long story short. My ex husband raped me numerous times during our relationship. I finally reported him last year. Last month he pleaded guilty to 2 counts of rape and 1 count of assault by penetration. He left it right to the last second to change his plea to guilty but I was so relieved I didn't have to go to court.
He is in court for sentencing today. I am a bit of a mess. I feel so shaky and scared. I know he's going to go to prison so I don't know what I'm scared of.
I have to phone witness care later and they will be able to find out his sentence.

OP posts:
Allaboutthebass · 04/09/2015 16:25

Brave lady. So sorry about the postponement. Flowers

Joysmum · 04/09/2015 16:25

So sorry to hear that, can't imagine how you must be feeling now Sad

PacificDogwood · 04/09/2015 16:26

Ah crap, Martha, sorry to hear this is going to drag on for you.
I hope the sentence will reflect the previous offence...

Allaboutthebass · 04/09/2015 16:27

But hopefully more detail about previous offences will help get the sentence he deserves?

AcrossthePond55 · 04/09/2015 16:30

Well, that sucks.

But I agree that the judge wants the records to justify a more severe sentence.

chairmeoh · 04/09/2015 16:34

Must feel like torture to you. But as others have said, it might mean a longer sentence. Try to have a fun weekend with your DD to help distract you.

coffeeisnectar · 04/09/2015 16:36

I am so sorry you are feeling like this. I hope he's being held and not being released until next week. You are so brave, it's an awful thing to go through, both the rapes and the court process which brings it all back up again. You are doing really well and I hope you can get help to process everything you've been through.

Please also make a claim through criminal injuries. That can be another long drawn out process but the money can be used to make good memories for you and the dc.

kungfupannda · 04/09/2015 17:06

If the judge has asked for details of a previous offence, it will be because it has the potential to make a difference to sentencing. I would imagine it is either a sexual offence of some sort, or an assault. He may want to know more details of the sexual assault, so he can decide whether there's been an escalation in his offending. Or he might want to know if it was in the context of another relationship. If it's an assault, he will almost certainly want to know whether it was in a domestic setting.

The only other thing I can think of would be something like a breach of a non-molestation order where he might want to know why it was imposed.

It is highly unlikely that the answer will lower the sentence he has in mind - but information indicating a pattern of offending, or a tendency to commit offences against women/partners will almost certainly up the sentence.

InimitableJeeves · 04/09/2015 17:13

Just wanted to say I admire you so much. By your bravery you are keeping other women safe from him and helping to get a message out that rapists don't get away with it.

Iflyaway · 04/09/2015 17:45

You are amazing. Big hugs to you.

Awful that you have to wait longer now but with the extra info the judge has asked for, I hope he throws the book at him.

You are an inspiration to other women. And a fantastic role model for your DC.

MsMarthaMay · 04/09/2015 18:12

Thank you.

I really hope it does up his sentence. I was his 2nd wife. I don't know much about his first wife other than they were very young when they married. They divorced years before I met him and he never really mentioned her. I don't even know who this man is!!

OP posts:
catzpyjamas · 04/09/2015 18:14

I hope this is a good sign that the judge is taking his previous offences into account. Rubbish for you to have longer to wait for a conclusion though.

Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost · 04/09/2015 18:18

Hi Martha. Sorry the sentencing has been postponed. I can only imagine how much that prolonging your agony but as the judge is looking into more evidence so hopefully he'll throw the book at him for a very many years and if I had my way, he'd be castrated, too.
Love to you

goddessofsmallthings · 04/09/2015 19:19

Don't be pissed off - it could be bad news for him that the judge wants more info about a previous offence. Is that the only one you know of and has he been remanded in custody pending next week's date?

It's just as well you didn't go to the court today, but do you think you may be up to it next week or would you rather just stay away and let justice be done without you watching it?

To clairfy, at what point did he enter a plea of guilty? Was it at the Magistrates or at the case management hearing at the Crown Court?

AyeAmarok · 04/09/2015 20:03

It could be a good thing OP. Judge must be looking at all the aggravating factors for the sentence.

You're very brave OP Flowers

AyeAmarok · 04/09/2015 20:07

Crossing my fingers for you OP.

CocktailQueen · 04/09/2015 20:12

You are so brave. Well done, op. Big hand-hold here. Gah re delay in sentencing - can you distract yourself over the weekend?
Hugs.

MsMarthaMay · 04/09/2015 20:41

He has been remanded so that is one good thing.

He pleaded not guilty at crown court and a date was set for trial. It was the day before that I got news he was amending his plea to not guilty. I was all psyched up to have to testify.

I don't think I will go to court. This might sound really strange but I feel like if I see him I will feel guilty! I still can't shake the feeling that it's all my fault. When I first thought about reporting him my own mother told me not to because I would ruin his life!! I was made to feel like I was over reacting! And I still can't get past that feeling that I'm in the wrong, that all this is my fault.

I've actually had to go no contact with my parents because of the way they treated me. They don't believe that it could possibly have been rape because he was my husband. I had pnd and was taking sleeping tablets that knocked me out. He took advantage of that. Twice I woke up to find him having sex with me. The worst was waking to find him sexually assaulting me and filming it on his mobile phone. But my parents still minimised it. Only my sister is understanding but she is in Australia and has just had her second baby in two years. I don't want to burden her when she already has her hands full.

OP posts:
MsMarthaMay · 04/09/2015 20:43

I keep having this really awful, violent thoughts towards him. I feel like I want to really physically hurt him. That is so not like me. I'm not a violent person at all.

OP posts:
MsMarthaMay · 04/09/2015 20:45

Actually I just need to get this out. I feel like I want to smash his head in with a hammer! Sad I know that sounds really awful but I'm just so angry.

Disclaimer: I'm not actually going to do that

OP posts:
Wombatinabathhat · 04/09/2015 20:51

Well done Martha on reporting and getting this far. There are so many negative experiences of women reporting reporting rape that it's good to get this far, and to get a guilty plea. You have been very brave Thanks

springydaffs · 04/09/2015 20:56

I had detailed revenge/violent fantasies about my abusive ex. It was calming, helped me to get off to sleep at night.

Summerbreezer · 04/09/2015 20:58

Martha, the those thoughts are completely understandable. You must feel so much rage towards him and your own family. Time to find healthy ways to let it out - are you having counselling?

As someone "in the business" so to speak, I always advise victims not to attend the sentencing hearing unless they feel a real compulsion to be there.

The reason I say this is that things will be said that may not necessarily be helpful for you. As barristers, we, (along with the judge) engage in the not particularly pleasant task of "ranking" the seriousness of the offence. We do that for everything - from the most trivial assault to murder.

That seems somewhat counter intuitive to many members of the public and victims of crime - how can you say one murder is worse than another, that one rape should be sentenced more harshly?

As the prosecution barrister, I do not act for the victim. I act for the Crown, the state. So my job is to prosecute fairly - and that means drawing the court's attention to aggravating and mitigating factors that may help the judge in their sentencing exercise. I am not arguing for a more severe penalty.

On the other hand, the defence barrister is actively trying to secure a lighter sentence. Although this may seem strange, it actually does work in practice. However, it can make some victims feel undervalued and ignored. They feel like they do not have a voice in the process (although the introduction of the "Victim Impact Statement" has helped with this).

So for those reasons I ask victims to think very carefully before attending. There is nothing wrong with staying away and awaiting the outcome over the phone, particularly if you are having (entirely misplaced, but understandable) feelings of guilt.

MsMarthaMay · 04/09/2015 20:59

I really couldn't have got through today with the support from you all. Thank you Flowers

OP posts:
LimpidPools · 04/09/2015 20:59

I think you're allowed to feel whatever you feel. Let yourself.

You couldn't do it even if you tried - he's remanded in custody. Thankfully.

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