Putting a bad man away

It was not too long after my sister passed away that my mum met Pete Johnson a soldier from the black watch, he had been friends with my mum previous before he went to the army but got talking again when he was on leave. I don't think my mother was thinking clearly at the time because after a week of being together I was told she was getting married and not only that but we were also moving to Hong Kong. I was 10 at the time. Once the wedding was over my mum began packing up our house and belongings, a week later we were waiting on our plane to take us to Hong Kong. I really did not want to go but as a child I had no choice in the matter. The flight was 10 hours long and when we arrived at Hong Kong it was something I had never experienced the heat coming off the plain was so much hotter than the summers we ever had in Scotland. Once we were in our barracks we were led to our house which was a flat on the 2nd floor. After 2 weeks of being there Pete beat my mother so badly she was unconcious and even the soles of her feet were badly bruised I thought he was going to kill her as I shouted "leave my mum alone" not the kind of life I was expecting to be honest but we were on the other side of the world no one could save us. It didn't take long and the beatings were on me too, I was not used to being beat up by a 27 year old soldier, he really did hurt me even breaking my back one time by kicking me really hard with his army boots that were steel toe cap. The beatings was the first to come the second was the sexual abuse he made me endure during the night when my mother was in bed. I hated him, and I hated my mother for taking me away from everything and everyone I loved, I hated my life and felt suicidal at age 11.

Pete got discharged from the army due to drug use, which is something my mother did daily during my childhood and to this day (I'm 39). When we arrived back in Scotland we were taken to army housing this was until the council gave us our own home to live in. Pete's abuse continued, he beat me and my mum on a regular basis. We both have bald spots on the sides of our head due to him ripping our hair out a thing he loved to do. My mum found out she was pregnant, I thought he would stop beating my mum but I was wrong, it got worse much worse. One day over nothing he grabbed my mum by the hair and pulled her down the stairs, her bump hit every step, I stood at the bottom screaming at him to stop. Later that night my mum went into premature labour she was only 17 and a half weeks pregnant. My sister was born weighing only 1lb 4oz and was the smallest baby to born within that hospital at the time. The council housed us so we could be closer to the hospital. Me and my mum went daily to see Megan who's hand was the same size as my mum's thumb nail she was tiny. I hated Pete more and more each day and wanted to die my life with him was so bad. I attempted suicide when I was 12 took pills my mum had, once Pete found out he grabbed me by the hair and took me to the bathroom in there I had dirty cat litter rammed down the back of my throat once he was done he took me to the main road and said "if you want to die I will throw you in front of the next car" I thought he was going to do it, I didn't really want to die I just wanted all the abuse to stop but it continued to get worse. Pete would hold me and my mum hostage on their bed we were not allowed to move, he would turn the electricity off at the mains and walk around the house tapping a knife off his other hand. He would spit on you and fill you with fear all through the night a sick game he liked to play and the very reason the news papers deemed him worse than Freddy Kruegar. I was never allowed out and was banned from talking and seeing my father. Pete upped the anti with the sexual abuse also he began to rape me, the pain of this was unbearable and something I will never forget. My baby sister eventually got home she had fought a hard battle and she was only 6 months but tiny for her age, 3 months after getting her home she died of cot death aged 9 months. Pete still beat my mum though she wasn't even allowed to grief, I would approach my mum beg her to leave him or even murder him anything to get him out of our lives. I attempted suicide again at age 13 and recieved a bad beating for that, my top lip touched my nose it was so swollen. He was arrested for this due to my neighbours calling the police, I answered the door all bloody and then they saw my mum all bloody she had a nasty gash to her eyebrow. He was released the next morning and yes you guessed it we were beaten again because it was all our fault. The next night Pete came into my room and kicked me in the head "GET UP" he said, he made me stand in the middle of my room naked as he sat on my cane chair that sat in the corner of my room just staring at me, he opened my windows so I woud get cold and made me stand there for hours I wet myself that night. I eventually could take no more and told a close family friend about the abuse, she then told my mum and my mum went crazy she never left him though. I was interviewed but my case was closed due to no evidence. That was it I thought I am doomed, so I ran away as I honestly thought he was going to kill me.

I ran to my mums friend the one I told and begged them to take me to another of my mums friends so I knew I was far away from him, I was there for a week until she told my mum were I was, she also alerted social work and the police. My mum was seething with anger and went to take a swipe at me until a police officer told her that is not acceptable. At last someone who cared, I never went back to my mums after that moved in with my Aunt and then in with my father. Although I was safe I still felt frightened, I was underweight so my dad fed me up on creamy mashed potatoes with extra butter and ice cream anything I wanted really. He was distraught when he found out what had happened and was enraged my case was closed due to no evidence. My day of justice was still to come though in the most unexpected way and this is why I believe so much in Karma.

It was 2014 I was in my 30's by this point when I got a knock at the door, I was in the shower and was unable to answer then I heard the letter box go. Once I was out the shower I went to see what it was, it was a note from the police asking me to call them. Unsure and a bit worried about what it could be as I had never been in trouble before, I was confused so I picked up the phone and called the number. I was told that the detective looking at the case was out and that they would give me a call back. I come off the phone so confused, what case? I hadn't heard about any case and why are they contacting me. My brain was doing a million miles an hour wondering what it could be and then eventually I got the call that would leave me gob smacked. The call came in around tea time and it was a detective from the domestic violence unit. They said that a man had come to their attention his name was Peter Johnson for domestic violence against the partner he had at the time, it was when they were doing his back ground search they saw that he had been brought to police before for offences against my mother. They were trying to build a case and asked if I would talk to them about what I saw him do to my mother, I said yes. The next day 2 police officers came to see me and began asking questions. I told them everything te abuse against my mother and me, everything. The police officer put his pen down and looked at me he said "I am very sorry we have let you down this is way more horrific than we anticipated" It took 58 hours all together for me to tell them everything, they had to leave and come back numerous times. A can of worms opened in my head, I had a breakdown. I went to my GP and was commenced on antidepressants. Talking about it after all the time that had passed caught me by surprise but I was adamant I would remain strong, I needed justice, I needed to help put this man away so no one else had to suffer at his hands. I was invited to the police station to do an identification parade, I spotted him straight away I said "number 3" and then turned and walked out as I felt sick and dizzy. The police man was very nice got me water and then I walked home and waited for the next step.

Pete was arrested and charged in Dec 2014 then let out on bail until his trial. when that day came i must admit i was nervous but strong as hell I was ready. When I arrived at the court the lawyer who was speaking on my behalf came to see me, they asked if I wanted a safe person to go in whilst I was giving evidence I said "No thank you I got this". I went into a small room when my name was called, I was sat behind a tv monitor as I could not bare to go into the court and face him, I spoke through video link. I answered all questions as best I could, it took a couple of hours and then it was over. I left the court feeling drained but preyed he would be found gulity. A while later I got a call from the police "Miss King I am calling to let you know he was found guilty on all charges" I dropped to my knees and cried tears of justice, I had got justice he was sentenced to 10 years with no parole and made to sign the sex offender's register and he will remain on that for life. I did it, I helped put a bad man away and it felt awesome.

I hope my story brings strength to someone who has or is going through anything I have discussed, it is a hard thing to do and will open up so many emotions and memories. I suffer from PTSD and it can flare this condition but with the right network of friends and loved ones it can be bearable. Just keep in mind you deserve justice, stay safe my fellow warriors and stay strong. Peace.