Stalking victim describes 'terrifying' ordeal
A woman from north Worcestershire has described the fear she experienced after being stalked by a former partner.
The woman, who does not want to be identified, said: "I actually thought at one point he was going to kill me, he was following me everywhere."
It comes as West Mercia Police revealed that the number of people being given harassment warnings has risen across most of the force area in the last year.
The woman said the behaviour of the man, who was a policeman at the time, spiralled from domestic abuse which started when she was pregnant with his child.
"When we first got together it was a fantastic relationship, he treated me really, really well but that slowly progressed into not wanting me to go out or wear certain things," she said.
"I didn't have a social life and I basically lived indoors for quite a long time because I didn't like going out on my own with the children - he made threats against them too.
"I used to go to my parents or certain friends' houses but that was it really - he brainwashed me, wore me down and broke me down."
The woman, who already had a child from a previous partner, said the abuse continued for years.
She said: "It was physical, mental, sexual - he'd hit me in front of the children and used them against me as weapons.
"He became more and more aggressive and when I fell pregnant he became extremely violent.
"Then he would turn up at my parents house and follow my mother and threaten her too - it was terrifying."
She said: "It was hard to finally decide to leave, I had loved him dearly and naturally thought a policeman was somebody who was going to protect me - you think they're someone who's on your side."
The woman, who now has a new partner, said she started reporting the man's behaviour to police but because of the nature of stalking cases it took time to get him convicted.
She said he lost his job after she pressed charges and he was given a supervision order, a fine and had to do community service.