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Domestic violence: Woman ‘still in fear’ a year after leaving bikie ex

A woman who was allegedly strangled, raped and beaten while pregnant by her bikie ex-husband says she lives in fear for her life and the safety of her children more than 12 months after leaving the man.

Australia's domestic violence crisis

A WOMAN who was allegedly strangled, raped and beaten while pregnant by her bikie ex-husband says she lives in fear for her life and the safety of her children more than 12 months after leaving the man.

She claims after she fled the violent relationship she was followed by his criminal mates, spent thousands debugging her car and installed drone blockout zones around her home.

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Sarah, whose name has been changed for legal reasons, said her husband inflicted violence and verbal abuse on her and her children “every day” of their relationship.

She alleges she has been “spat at, punched, slapped and had her head slammed into doors”.

The man has been charged with domestic violence-related offences, including strangulation, rape and assault with a weapon. He is accused of punching a bedroom door before grabbing Sarah while she was pregnant and throwing her against a wall. Later, he allegedly held a drill and a gun to her head, telling her to “watch out”.

After her husband was granted bail, Sarah wrote to Annastacia Palaszczuk for help, saying she did not want the man to track her down and kill her after he breached the court order.

“Leaving is when women are most at risk because the perpetrators feel like they’re losing control,” Sarah said.

“I still live with that fear, it’s not a fear that’s irrational, it’s a rational fear of what could happen to me and my children.”

Sarah said she believed the only way she could truly escape the man was to “go off the grid”.

“I had times where I lost 10kg in a week or went 12 days without sleep,” she said.

“I would have these thoughts running through my head saying: ‘How will be find me?’.”

He is expected to appear in court later this month.

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/domestic-violence-woman-still-in-fear-a-year-after-leaving-bikie-ex/news-story/6978cea3a3f9863e379da00f7b3b1980