A woman revealed her horror of being stalked after discovering her violent ex-husband hid in a camera in her wardrobe.
Nicola Robinson, a support worker, ended her nine- year relationship with her Jamie Robinson, 32, in June 2021.
The 36-year-old mum soon felt suspicious that she was being watched after her tattooist ex-husband began turning up unexpectedly between June and October last year, she said.
“I started to get suspicious that he was keeping tabs on me. He kept turning up places and knew where I was going to be.”
Ms Robinson added: “He seemed to know about conversations I had in private, in my own home.”
The situation became more threatening when the he stalked Ms Robinson to a hotel where she was staying with a friend and booked the room adjacent to her.
“There was a knock at the door and I couldn’t believe he was there,” she said. “I immediately ran to reception, and we moved rooms, but I was worried he would find us.”
Things took a turn for the worse when Ms Robinson was physically attacked twice by her ex. He punched her in the head in July 2021 when she broke things off and told him to leave.
He assaulted her again just over a week later when he appeared at her home without warning, and questioned her about her whereabouts the previous night. When she refused to tell him she had been out with friends, he strangled her.
“It was terrifying,” she said. “I didn’t know what he could be capable of.”
Afraid for her life, the support worker reported the attacks to the police who then conducted a search of her house. After an eight hour search, they found a hidden camera in her bedroom wardrobe.
The horrified mum said: “I couldn’t believe he had been watching me. It felt such an invasion of my privacy and left me feeling unsafe at home.
“I fell out with friends because things they had told me in confidence were being spread around.
“I didn’t feel like I could trust anyone. It was incredibly isolating.”
Robinson was jailed for four years at Northampton Crown Court on January 20 this year. The counts he admitted related to actual bodily harm on July 26 2021, common assault on July 17, and stalking involving fear of violence between June 26 and October 15.
Ms Robinson spoke of her relief now that her ex has been sentenced to jail, saying: “I’m glad I don’t have to keep looking over my shoulder. I finally feel free again.”
However, she is still dealing with the trauma the experience put her through. She said: “It’s upsetting to know I spent nine years with someone who would do this to me. It’s a lot to get my head around but I’m doing better.
“I haven’t dated anyone since - my headspace isn’t there and I need to focus on myself.
“Hopefully, I can help other women spot the red flags and get out.”
