A dad who left the mother of his children for a Ukrainian refugee says they face a torrent of online abuse every day. Tony Garnett, 29, left his partner Lorna, 28, for Sofiia Karkadym, 22, after she moved in with them as part of the Government's refugee rehoming scheme.
Sofiia had fled her hometown Lviv and Tony became her sponsor. Just over a week after she arrived he left his partner and children.
He and Sofiia are now renting a house and say they are happy, but Tony says he can no longer see his two children. "Me and Sofiia are doing brilliantly," he told YorkshireLive.
"To be honest it is going good. We have got our own house; no drama (and) getting to know each other. We've had a few obstacles; the house has been rented to us and we are looking for furniture to make it more of a home.
"In terms of the public, they don't have a clue. I am quite thick-skinned - there's two sides. I am getting men messaging me saying 'I wish I could do the same to my wife' and women asking me to run away with them.
"Sofiia is getting abuse, people calling her a homewrecker, and people talking about petitions to deport her."
He added: "I want to tell the truth. She is not a homewrecker. I chose to move her here to save her (from the war)."
Sofiia Karkadym and Tony are said to be 'doing great' (Image: sonya_dobrvlsk / instagram)
He says that, because he was sponsoring Sofiia during her stay in the UK, he felt he had to offer her protection and that they had fallen for one another after he had moved out of the family home. "I didn't want to pass her from pillar to post," he added.
"I was making her feel safe and welcome. I felt I had a duty of care."
And he claimed that his relationship with Lorna had "numerous problems before Sofiia arrived" and had been "on and off."
Tony says he can no longer see his two children and his relationship with Lorna has broken down. Another knock-on effect is the amount of abuse he and Sofiia face on social media.
Sofiia had escaped the horrors of Lviv at the start of the invasion (Image: @sonya_dobrvlsk/Instagram)
"I don't reply to no messages, I block them," says Tony, talking about the 'hundred' or so messages he had been sent by members of the public. Not all of them are abusive.
"People have offered support and say they trust our judgment and they understand a man is not going to leave a relationship if something is not going on before."
He added: "I enjoy banter. I've had a few men saying I am an 'animal' and that they wish they could do the same to their missus. I am not a monster at all. I sleep very well at night...I saved her from Ukraine and from... abuse. I have done the right thing. Before I put up with things for the sake of my kids. Why did I put up with it?"
And he says Sofiia too has had to put up with abusive messages online, alongside positive and supportive comments.
"She has been called a 'home-wrecking b****' and that her relationship will end in the same way. People saying that after her visa arrives she will disappear."
Sofiia said she was feeling "okay" and she didn't worry about what people thought of her. "I feel okay because when I do something I do the right thing. Of course, there are troubles and some problems. In general, I know why I am doing this.
"I don't care what other people will say. In general, I will do what I want."
Sofiia says she speaks to her parents every day. "They see that we are okay and have no problems. At first, they were shocked of course. But now they see I made the right decision."
Sofiia said she wanted to live together with Tony and "hopefully (have a) family like normal people."
Tony added: "That's another bridge when we get to it."
