A woman has shared how her ex-boyfriend bit her ear off during a brutal attack while watching England lose a World Cup match. Gemma Williams, 37, was severely beaten and had part of her ear ripped off by her ex-boyfriend during the England vs Italy World Cup match in June 2014.
The attack at the hands of her then-partner, David Barr, now 46, left her concussed for months and "mentally scarred for life". Gemma - who was 29 at the time of the attack - is now speaking out about the link between the World Cup and domestic violence - which increases by a staggering 38 per cent when England lose.
Gemma, a cleaning company assistant, from Mold, North Wales, said: "It was absolutely awful. I couldn't leave the house for two months, I was off work for three months and the concussion lasted even longer. He had shown some signs of aggression, but I didn't pick up on it properly as I'd never experienced that before.
"On the day it happened, England were playing Italy in the World Cup - a match they lost. He was drinking and watching the game, then one of my old colleagues messaged me and just asked how I was.
"David saw it and took it the wrong way - he got up and smashed my phone to pieces, before punching me and continuing to beat me whilst I lay unconscious on the kitchen floor. I ended up in hospital the following day with a severe concussion, broken jaw and part of my ear bitten off.
"I couldn't even get a hairbrush through my hair because it was so matted with blood. He tried to get me to tell people I had fallen over the dog, but after a few days I told my friend and she called the police - thank God."
The couple had met in November 2013 through Facebook, and hit it off at first. Just three months later, in January 2014, David had moved into Gemma's house in Mold.
However, shortly after they started living together Gemma began feeling 'trapped' and terrified'. David was arrested and later sentenced at Mold Crown Court in August 2014 to six years behind bars after pleading guilty to a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Gemma is now happily married, but says healing from the attack is "never-ending", and hopes that the high rates of domestic violence associated with the World Cup improves. She said: "The short term impact of the attack was absolutely awful. I had to have post-it notes around the house to remind me of things because my concussion was so bad.
"It's taken a long time to trust again. Luckily, I've married someone I've known for 20 years so the trust is there. But at first I was so scared, everything I walked round a corner I thought he'd be there.
"The World Cup is definitely a trigger for domestic violence because of the amount of drinking and how hyped everyone gets. It's also about the individual's personality as well, but when you see riots at football clubs over a game, it's just ridiculous. The culture of football and the World Cup encourages violence towards women, it needs to change."
If you, a family member, or a friend has experienced domestic abuse or sexual violence, you can contact the Live Fear Free Helpline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for free advice and support or to talk through your options. Call: 0808 80 10 800, text: 0786 007 7333, email: info@livefearfreehelpline.wales, or go to gov.wales/live-fear-free
