Phillip De Wet’s DV victim tells of trauma from attacks

A woman shared how a dating app designed for Christians became the backdrop for a horrific tale of domestic violence.

Philip De Wet, 32, was found guilty by a jury after a three-day trial in Rockhampton District Court last week of two counts of choking – domestic violence, two of assault occasioning bodily harm and two common assaults..

A woman subjected to multiple brutal attacks by a man she dated for only three months after meeting him on a Christian dating app revealed why she battled through fear and anxiety to share her story in court.

Phillip De Wet, 32, was found guilty by a jury after a three-day trial in Rockhampton District Court last week of two counts of choking – domestic violence, two of assault occasioning bodily harm and two common assaults.

The former disability worker and personal trainer also pleaded guilty to one count of common assault before the trial started.

A video recording of De Wit saying he “could have hurt you worse” was played at the trial.

Read the full story here. 

The victim read out her own impact statement after the jury found De Wet’s guilty of all charges.

“Thank you for hearing my voice and giving me the opportunity to have my voice heard.

“It’s hard to put into words the affect your actions Phillip, have had on my life and the lasting damage I must face day-to-day life.

“I also must accept that you will never take responsibility for your actions as you continue to blame everybody else in your life to justify your actions and ill behaviour.

“Terrified, violated, devastated, anxious, isolated, manipulated, numb, self-doubt, no self-worth, fearfulness. These are just some of the words that I can use to describe my day-to-day fears and feelings I must face.

“You wanted to control my every move, my every day-to-day movements, including what I wore, when I could talk to my children and who I could communicate with or socialise with.

“I could not go to work on my own.

“I could not do anything alone, or even be alone with my children, to this day that I still cannot understand why.

“Why do I feel that you never loved me or appreciated me, but simply just enjoyed controlling every aspect of my day-to-day life without remorse.

“You laid your hands on me four times.

“Every time our physical altercations occurred, you would storm off and return, blaming me for your actions and then comfort me in that guilt.

“You made me believe I was the one to blame and that it wouldn’t happen again; until it did.”

She said when De Wet threw bourbon in her face, it: “left me feeling terrified and worried for my future with you”.

“After all this trauma I’ve experienced, I cannot escape my day-to-day reality.

“When I go to sleep at night, I experience violent nightmares.

“I sleep-walk and I have dragged my children out of their beds in the middle of the night, trying to escape and get to safety.

“I’m lucky enough to have family and friends around me now, since you’re not around to support me and my children.

“You gave me a false sense of security, hope that I found someone worth bringing into our place.

“You tried to destroy me, my way of being.

“You tried to get between me and my family and my ex and how we co-parent.

“I will never forget these words: ‘your kids don’t need you’.

“The pain those words bring to me.

“How dare you?

“You have no idea what I need, or my kids.

“The fear and anxiety that I must stand up here to face you and confront you is a lot to deal with.

“But I also lived in fear of one day turning on the news and hearing that someone lost their life; I could have prevented it.

“I couldn’t have that.

“That’s the fear I cannot live with and that’s why I am here today.”

Originally published as Phillip De Wet’s DV victim tells of trauma from attacks