CLUTCHING at the ground, Karen struggled to catch her breath between screams as she felt her hair being ripped out, her head pressed into the floor and her attacker repeatedly stamping on her lower back and hand.

But this wasn't a one-off assault, it was just one of many ordeals she claims she experienced at the hands of her ex-partner in a six-year reign of terror.

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

19 Karen Bevan was left with a bloodied face after allegedly being beaten by her ex Credit: Karen Bevan

19 Rachel Williams was even shot by her abusive ex Credit: Wales News Service

Having seen him briefly jailed for the assault, Karen - along with four other domestic abuse survivors - has now spoken to the Sun Online of her experience in a bid to raise awareness of the dangers many victims may be facing amid the coronavirus outbreak.

As millions of people are forced to self-isolate due to the pandemic, charities and survivors have pleaded for more help for domestic abuse victims who will have to spend extended periods of time with a volatile partner - with no obvious escape.

While many organisations have ensured they have extra volunteers and staff on standby, one service is even expecting as much as a 50 per cent increase in calls in the coming weeks.

And sadly, no-one understands just how real these dangers are as much as these five survivors.

'I often wished he would kill me just to end the misery'

Swansea mum-of-one Karen Bevan, 36, met her former partner Jason Westwood on online dating site Plenty Of Fish in 2009 and fell head over heels almost straight away, won over by his charm.

19 Karen Bevan has revealed the horror attack that saw her ex jailed Credit: Supplied

However, she claims it was only a few weeks before she began to see some major red flags.

“He first hit me three weeks in. We were staying at his mother’s house at the time," she says.

Karen claims Westwood had fallen asleep after having some drinks, but hit out and even "karate kicked" her when she tried to wake him up to move across in bed.

Gobsmacked by the outburst, Karen says she left but was eventually persuaded to give her partner another chance just weeks later, with him promising it was a one-off and he'd take care of her.

Sadly, she claims it was just the first of many attacks over the years that followed.

Where can you get help? You don't have to suffer in silence. If you are experiencing domestic violence or someone you know is there are groups that can help. Refuge runs a free, 24-hour helpline on 0808 2000 247 Or visit the website. Or contact Women’s Aid.

19 Karen was left with horror injuries after the attack Credit: Karen Bevan

19 Police released photos of Karens injuries to her following her ex being jailed Credit: Karen Bevan

In one particularly memorable incident in September 2012 - which later saw Westwood jailed - Karen was rushed to hospital following what a judge described as "one of the worst cases" of domestic violence he'd seen.

A court heard how he pushed Karen to the ground, kicked her in the head and stamped on her back and hand repeatedly - leaving her covered in blood.

“I was drunk at the time so I can’t remember exactly what happened next, but suddenly I was in the foyer with Jay holding me by my hair and pushing my face into the floor, before stamping on my lower back and my left hand," she claims.

“I was screaming and my face was pouring with blood.”

Westwood was arrested two days later when he turned up at the flat again, before being jailed for five months in October 2012. He only served six and a half weeks however before being released.

Much to her regret now, Karen took him back when he turned up on her doorstep with nowhere to go and they remained together until the following March.

Still, she claims little changed.

"He would beat me up then lock me in the house and smash up my mobile and landline phones to stop me calling for help," she claims. "I often wished he would kill me just to end the misery.

19 Karen managed to escape after six years and has since helped other survivors Credit: Supplied

"For the last few months of the relationship I slept with a claw hammer under my bed."

Since escaping the hell, Karen has gone on to help other victims of domestic abuse by working with the refuge that helped her when she first left Westwood.

She still suffers from PTSD however, and admits seeing news of people having to isolate now is a trigger - bringing back flashbacks of feeling trapped herself.

“Women who felt trapped before must feel completely hopeless now," she says.



'He started strangling me... All I could see were my boys faces'

Shockingly Karen wasn't Westwood's only victim, and Welsh mum-of-two Rebecca McCleery, 32, also says she fell victim to his temper several years later.

19 Rebecca McCleery claims she was assaulted by Jason Westwood too Credit: Supplied

19 Rebecca previously revealed bruising across her body after reporting her ex to police Credit: Rebecca McCleery

She met Westwood online in 2018 and says he was charm personified for the six months that followed.

However, she claims he first became violent on New Year's Eve - alleging an argument ended in him "punching her in the face" and "flinging her around".

After reporting it to the police, Rebecca says her ex was placed on probation for two years - but they eventually began seeing each other again.

Following a brief split around August, the couple continued seeing each other - but she claims it once again resulted in violence.

“He literally grabbed me and threw me across the room," she claims of one night. “I went over a table and landed on the floor. I didn’t know what it was, but he gave me a haematoma on my bum cheek."

19 Rebecca was left with a black eye following an attack Credit: Rebecca McCleery

She claims the row continued from there, before Westwood threw a can at her and eventually "jumped on her and started strangling" her.

“All I could see were my boys faces in my mind," she says. "He let go eventually and I got up and burst out crying."

She claims the attack escalated from there before Westwood was eventually arrested.

He pleaded guilty to common assault and received a suspended sentence at the start of this month following Rebecca's harrowing abuse claims. She also has an injunction against him.



'I don’t know how I got out alive'

Emma Armstrong, 30, endured six years of beatings at the hands of her former partner – all the while feeling too nervous to leave him amid fears he’d kill himself following a series of suicide attempts.

19 Emma Armstrong felt pressured to stay with her former partner over fears he's commit suicide Credit: Emma Armstrong

In fact, Emma claims that her ex not only manipulated and brainwashed her, but he also raped her numerous times and beat her “black and blue” in a final, horror attack – before taking his own life in April 2013.

“I was with him for six years, I was quite young at the time – 19,” she says. “He was abusive from three months in.”

Emma says she was too scared to leave him from word go as he would threaten to kill himself.

“There were about six occasions when he made [suicide] attempts. Some were serious, some of them weren’t,” she says.

“There was physical abuse throughout. He’d mainly throw things at me - he was very discreet with how he did it. A lot of the time it would be pushing me by my chest so I’d have bruising where people couldn’t see."

On top of the pushing and beatings, she claims sexual assaults happened regularly too.

“I’d have bruises between my thighs where he’d forced me down,” she says. “When I finally left him I don’t know how I got out alive… “

19 Emma was just 19 when she met her ex Credit: Emma Armstrong

19 Emma has since transformed her life, but fears for victims stuck in abusive homes now Credit: Emma Armstrong

Emma claims her partner had raped her before leaving for the night. However, he came home earlier than she thought and caught her packing to leave, sparking a furious reaction.

“He threw me out of the bed, smashed my phone against the wall, started kicking the s*** out of me in front of the wardrobe,” she claims. “Luckily his friend heard me screaming in pain, so he got him off me and held him against the wall.

“I managed to run into my car outside and got free. Had his friend not been there, I don’t think I’d be here to tell my story now.

“Police issued him with a caution for domestic abuse… He then hung himself a week later.”

Emma, who is now services manager at the Reigate and Banstead Women’s Aid refuge, says the years that followed were torture, as her partner’s family blamed her for his death – and she in turn truly felt she was responsible.

Her horror experience has now made her fear for victims amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“How survivors are in that position now, I don’t know. It literally makes me feel physically sick thinking about it,” she says. “Oh my God if that was me, I’d feel so trapped, how am I going to stay safe.”



'My husband shot me then hanged himself'

Another brave woman who's overcome true horror is Rachel Williams, who experienced years of horrific abuse at the hands of her ex Darren - which eventually saw him blast Rachel with a shotgun in the hairdressers when she filed for divorce.

19 Rachel Williams was shot by her evil ex, before he took his own life Credit: Wales News Service

19 Rachel has since campaigned for more awareness for domestic violence victims Credit: Wales News Service

Darren - who had spent 18 years punching, throttling and spitting at his wife - hanged himself in woodland hours after the shooting in Newport, south Wales.

But for Rachel - who survived the brutal attack - her anguish didn't end there: six weeks later, her son Jack, 16, killed himself too, unable to cope with the horror that had unfolded around him.

Today, Rachel considers herself "no longer a victim but a victor", as she tirelessly campaigns to raise awareness of domestic abuse and to support other women.

19 Rachel was left with horror injuries after she was shot in the leg in her salon Credit: Wales News Service

19 Rachel was punched, throttled and spit at by Darren for 18 agonising years Credit: Wales News Service

But coronavirus has posed major worries for her recently.

“It’s not known what the scale of this will be… I think it’s going to be bad," she says.

“Not every victim keeps their mouth shut in the house, I was certainly a strong woman with my perpetrator and I know a lot of strong women that will have a go back.

“But I think now’s the time that, looking at how long you could be isolated with them [the abuser] and not knowing if there’s going to be spaces in refuges and such, perhaps now’s the time to reign it in a bit to ride it out a bit.”

Having spoken to a police source in a Zoom chat recently, Rachel has since tweeted: "We have heard that it’s been fed back that some countries on lockdown have seen a 30% increase of domestic abuse cases!"

'My abusive partner drove my daughter to attempt suicide'

Shockingly, domestic abuse doesn't always end with one victim. Sometimes, like in Rachel's case, it can have deep and devastating impacts on family members too.

And sadly that was also the case for another British woman, 51, who can't be identified for legal reasons.

Tap to see where COVID-19 is near you

She was with her partner for around four years, in which time she claims she was made to feel worthless, terrified and isolated thanks to a stream of mental and verbal abuse.

“He’d phone me and say, tonight for my dinner I fancy rump steak with chips… he’d put in a menu order. Imagine that now," she says of the current coronavirus nightmare.

“I’d cook it, it would have to be on the table for 5pm. But then he’d come in and go straight out for a run, so I’d have to keep the food from spoiling.

“Then he’d pick it up and chuck it in the bin, saying, ‘that’s a load of f***ing s***. Then he’d sit and eat Weetabix in front of me."

She says the mind control would extend to everything from banning any lights in the house from 8pm at night, to controlling what she ate - forcing her to rely on food parcels from her parents.

19 London streets are all but deserted as people self-isolate across the country Credit: Represented by ZUMA Press, Inc.

19 Parisians applaud healthcare employees from their balcony, as the world slowly becomes quarantined Credit: AFP or licensors

However, she had no idea that this control extended to her now 23-year-old daughter, who she claims became so traumatised by it, she was eventually driven to attempt suicide.

“He was saying to her, ‘your mum doesn’t want you, you need to leave’. He’d get suitcases out for her," she says. “I didn’t have a clue until it got so serious that she tried to take her own life because of it."

It was the final straw and she eventually found the courage to leave him.

She's now happily moved on with a new partner and shares an incredibly close bond with her daughter - a happy ending she prays others will find too.



'I lived in fear he'd drown me in the bath'

Another woman sadly felt the brunt of her ex partner's rage physically too.

The 43-year-old has been diagnosed with PTSD and severe trauma following around six months of horrific abuse in 2018.

“I wasn’t allowed to go into the bathroom with the door shut at all," she claims. "I used to have a bath but I used to sit bolt upright in it because I was terrified that, with the door open, if he got angry he’d just come in and drown me."

CORONAVIRUS CRISIS - BE IN THE KNOW Don't miss the latest news and figures - and essential advice for you and your family. To receive The Sun's Coronavirus newsletter in your inbox every tea time, sign up here. To follow us on Facebook, simply 'Like' our Coronavirus page. Get Britain's best-selling newspaper delivered to your smartphone or tablet each day - find out more.

On one occasion she describes him repeatedly stamping on her chest.

“He’d gone out and something must have happened – I don’t even know what. He rang me before he got back at 2am, so I got out of bed and cooked for him so he’d have a cooked meal when he got in," she says.

“He’d throw it in the bin more often than not. That was one of his favourite things to do. I’d cook, and then he’d throw it away and order takeaway.

“He just started going mental and punching me. Then he threw me to the floor, pinned me down and stamped on my chest."

She finally left her abuser when he lost his temper and allegedly threw her against the wall, leaving her nose covered in blood.

“I’ve had real trouble with my bowels because when you leave the door open, you don’t want to go. You teach yourself not to go," she says.

19 Patients in hospital and people at home are being quarantined in Russia too Credit: Getty Images - Getty

“A punch in the face is almost the least of your problems.”

Luckily, she's since found happiness with a new partner, but breaking down in tears, she admits it's taken her years to finally feel safe again to close the bathroom door and relax in the bath.

While she shares similar concerns over the coronavirus now, she insists it's not just hell for the victims - as being isolated can also be a trigger for survivors, bringing back horrific memories of their own pasts.



Charities' plea for extra vigilance

A stream of charities have shared their concerns for domestic abuse victims in the wake of coronavirus, with many people forced to self-isolate across the country.

Women's Aid have called on the government to prioritise safety advice and planning for any victims who may feel trapped with no way of escaping a perpetrator.

"We are concerned that social distancing and self-isolation will be used as a tool of coercive and controlling behaviour by perpetrators, and will shut down routes to safety and support," they said in a statement.

Lucy Hadley, campaigns and policies manager, added to the Sun Online: “There’s isolation, stress, anxiety, financial insecurity and of course just the practicalities of being able to access those safe spaces where women might disclose or seek help.

“Schools can be a really safe space for children, GPs, other public spaces where women can access confidential advice and support are all going to be closing down. Those routes to safety are being shut down.”

Meanwhile, Hestia's campaign against domestic violence, UK SAYS NO MORE, is urging people to regularly check in on family and friends they may be concerned about.

The National Centre for Domestic Violence, a service offering fast emergency injunctions to survivors, has already seen a increase in pleas for help.

CEO Mark Groves told us: "What do victims do? Suddenly they’re thrust into this environment through no fault of their own, they can’t escape, they can’t try and see their friends, they can’t go to work, they can’t get to the pub, they can’t do anything. They’re trapped.

“We’ve increased the amount of helpline advisors that we have on the team.

"We have noticed an increase already... I don’t doubt there will be a huge increase [still to come].

“Ultimately we’re expecting up to a 50 per cent increase in people using our service.”

more in news Exclusive YOU'RE HAVING A GIRAFFE? Inside London Zoo as rare 'African Unicorn' prepares to give birth FAMILY FEUDS Inside Kobe and Vanessa's rifts with parents after mum 'kicked out of home' Exclusive SEPARATED AT BIRTH My stillborn child was taken from me and secretly buried in a mass grave BLOOD LETTINGS What became of UK's murder homes - from Fred & Rose West to Dennis Nilsen COVID COUNT The story of how coronavirus lockdown changed our lives... in numbers HIDDEN PAIN We lost our loved ones to England's male suicide 'capital' - we need change NOW

And domestic abuse support charity Safe Lives has similar concerns, adding in a statement: "Our thoughts are with those adult and child victims living with abusive perpetrators, where home is not a place of safety, but a place where they will face a potential increase in violence and psychological abuse as well as even greater isolation.

"Early evidence from the lockdown in China suggests that reports of domestic abuse have doubled in some areas and we know previous crises have led to an increase in perpetrators abusing their victims.

"At extraordinary times like this, domestic abuse services must be thought of as part of critical national infrastructure."

EastEnders' Gray throttles Chantelle in horrific domestic abuse storyline

If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or visit Mind’s website.