A mother who was tortured by her former fiance in front of their children is being forced to write to him in prison – or face being jailed herself.

Natalie Allman, 29, was battered and slashed across the throat by Jason Hughes during a seven-hour ordeal because he wanted to make her ‘ugly’ after she ended their relationship.

But she has now been ordered to provide the former Territorial Army soldier with regular updates about their twin sons after he launched a legal battle from his cell.

Natalie Allman, 29, who was tortured for seven hours in front of her twin sons and had her throat cut by ex-fiance Jason Hughes has been forced to write to her attacker, or face the prospect of being sent to jail herself

Ms Allman, was battered with a dumb-bell and slashed across the throat by Hughes, 42, (left) because he wanted to make her look 'ugly' after she dumped him. The pair are pictured before their split in 2011

Under parental rights laws, Miss Allman must send letters and photos of the five-year-olds to her attacker three times a year and will be held in contempt of court if she refuses.

Miss Allman, who still bears the scars of her ordeal, said yesterday that she is being wrongly made to feel like a criminal.

‘We are the victims, not him,’ she said. ‘I thought he was going to kill me that night for no reason and my boys saw that. They were terrified,’ she added.

A judge has ordered Ms Allman to send three letters a year to Hughes, updating him on their five-year-old boys, pictured in 2012, and including photographs of the children every Easter, September and December

On February 3, 2011, as Ms Allman lay in bed, Hughes launched the terrifying seven-hour attack on his ex, attempting to smother her with a pillow before repeatedly bludgeoning her with a dumb bell

Ms Allman had suffered eight wounds to her head and five fractures to her face bones. She also needed cosmetic surgery to rebuild her throat

‘I’m so angry that the law still defends his parental rights and that he is still being allowed to control us from behind bars.’

MAINTAINING CONTACT: SECTION 8 OF THE CHILDREN ACT 1989 Section 8 of the Children Act 1989 deals with the arrangements for children after the break down of their parents' relationship. Should a disagreement arise between the parents, they can apply to the court for a residence or contact order to be drawn up in respect of their children. A contact order requires the parent, or other person, who the child lives with to allow a named individual to have contact with the child. It is usually used to maintain the child's links with both parents after the end of their relationship. This contact can be 'direct', meaning it is face-to-face, ‘indirect’, which may involve telephone calls, emails or letter; supervised by a third party; or the child may be able to stay overnight with the person named in the order. The order would usually define the frequency, duration, time and place of the visits, or the nature and frequency of contact by telephone, letter or other means. Sometimes the parent the child lives with may also be required to provide school reports or other information on their son or daughter. If the order is breached, a court has the power to impose a fine of up to £2,50029 or a custodial sentence of up to two years. Advertisement

Hughes, 42, was jailed for nine years in 2012 following the brutal attack at the couple’s home in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, the year before.

He had flown into a jealous rage when Miss Allman dumped him just two months before they planned to marry, telling Hughes that she was seeing somebody else.

The former reservist, who had an alcohol addiction, attempted to smother her with a pillow before repeatedly bludgeoning her with a dumb bell and slashing her throat.

Hughes, who was trained to use bayonets and knives in the Army, only let Miss Allman call an ambulance after seven hours. Officers arrived to find their terrified sons, then two, in bed with their mother covered in blood.

Miss Allman suffered horrific wounds and needed cosmetic surgery on her throat, but later rebuilt her life and had another child with a new partner.

But in January last year Hughes applied for a residence and contact order under the Children Act of 1989, demanding six letters a year as well as phone calls.

Despite spending £3,000 fighting the order, a judge ordered Miss Allman to send three letters a year on the children’s school progress, health and emotional development or face a fine or jail.

Hughes was given permission to send them one letter a year as well as cards at birthdays and Christmas.

Miss Allman said she is sickened by letters she has already received from Hughes, which she says describe how he is allowed to play on an Xbox games console and work as a bee-keeper. She has been told to keep them in case the boys want to read them one day.

She said: ‘I couldn’t believe it.

‘I could end up being split up from my children and sent to prison when he was the one who attacked me. I’m the one being treated like a criminal.’