A brave woman has revealed how she overcame abuse by her ex-boyfriend who extorted £30,000 from her during their two-year relationship. Beckie Scott, 25, from Watford, Hertfordshire, was just 18 when she met her former partner in a nightclub.
She was charmed by his cheeky attitude as he showered her with dates, flowers and gifts - but she claims soon his true colours began to show. Beckie says she was forced to leave her job in the hospitality industry at the insistence of her then-boyfriend.
It was just one of the many things he eventually made Beckie do against her will she tells us, including deleting her social media and making her pay for his bills and expenses - which she says he recklessly gambled.
Beckie, who has autism, calls 2018 the 'worst year of her life' as she says his mental and financial abuse turned into physical attacks.
In February 2018, she tells us how he got aggressive towards her and hit her with a hairspray can that broke her windscreen, all while she was driving.
Two months later, Beckie's ex got angry at her for getting a job at Ferrari and refused to hand over her phone when she went to work.
In August of the same year, he allegedly pawned Beckie's new iPad Apple Pencil and her phone so he could use the money towards gambling.
Tired of being constantly abused, Beckie mustered the courage to report him to the police.
However, her abuser couldn't be charged for the physical abuse because Beckie's evidence in the form of images and videos were over six-months-old.
Instead, he was charged for coercive and controlling behaviour in an intimate relationship and criminal damage and eventually sentenced to serve 29-months in prison by a Crown Court in 2020.
After just nine months, he was let out last year and now roams free - but Beckie has got a lifetime restraining order against him.
Beckie is now in a loving, stable relationship with another man called Max James.
"I was being physically, psychologically, financially and emotionally abused in the two-and-a-half years of my relationship with him," she said.
Beckie claims: "He had a big gambling problem which led him to steal £30,000 from me over time.
"He would also steal from my family by sending messages from my phone, pretending to be me while I was asleep to get money from them.
"The mental abuse started fairly early when he started to get into my head to tell me what I could wear, who I could see.
"He would take my phone off me when I wasn't with him and wouldn't let me see my friends and family.
"He got into my head and made me believe that no one wanted me and how I was worthless."
Beckie advises other women to spot such abusive people who often resort to victim blaming, pressurising to act in a certain way, controlling finances and behaviour and anger issues.
"From physically assaulting me in front of other people during a holiday that I paid for, to hitting me, he started hitting me very early on in the relationship," said Beckie.
"He used to get angry if I didn't give him money for a bet and would then verbally abuse me and physically kick and grab me.
"He smashed the windscreen of the my car on two occasions and also broke the heater button once.
"In July 2018, the physical pain got worse as he would grab my hair, pinch me, hit me and pull me even while I was driving.
"One time when I refused to give him money, he grabbed my wrist and twisted it until I was on the floor."
The emotional abuse has left Beckie scarred mentally for life, but physical abuse has led to palpable scars.
Beckie, who lost her policeman father to a brain tumour in 2010, comes from a loving family and says her parents never fought in front of her.
"I come from a very work-motivated family, unlike his," she said.
It has taken almost five years for Beckie to stop flinching from physical contact.
"After I left him, he tried to contact me by sending flowers to my work but he couldn't get hold of me or find me as I changed everything - bank details, phone number, emails," Beckie said.
"He told people I was crazy and making things up."
It has taken a lot of healing for Beckie to recover from her past and she is still not there.
"My family has been very supportive, especially because I struggle to speak sometimes because of my autism," Beckie said.
"I have met the most amazing guy who treats me how I should be treated - like a princess and we now live together with our dog.
"My mental health is good at the moment however I still struggle with flashbacks and get triggered easily.
"I don't have a lot of friends today because a lot of them left me when my ex-boyfriend asked me to stop speaking to them.
"I only speak to a few people including one of his ex-girlfriends who is my now my best friend. She has stuck by me every step of my journey and I wouldn't be here without her."
Beckie now documents her story on social media and has found a community of women who share their experiences on TikTok.
"A lot of people use my page as a platform to just tell their story. It's really nice seeing so many people support each other," she said.
"I can't really say what my future holds for me as at one point I didn't even think I'll make it till I am 21 and here I am, 25-years-old.
"I am thankful for that and can't wait to see what my future brings."
Do you have a real-life story to share? Get in touch. Email nia.dalton@reachplc.com.
