Shocking photos show the horrific injuries a mum-of-two suffered at the hands of her ‘dangerous and controlling’ ex-boyfriend before she took her own life.
According to a report by Metro UK, Gemma Robinson, 34, took her own life as she felt 'petrified at the thought of facing' her ex-husband, Joseph Falconer, 33 in court’.
Gemma had a fractured eye socket, cuts and bruises to her head, face, arms, neck and chest after Falconer grabbed her around the throat, repeatedly punched her in the face and spat on her.
Gemma, a fitness instructor, from Dartford, Kent, was found hanged at her home in July 2020, hours before her former partner attempted to secure bail.
Falconer was jailed for three years and four months on February 4.
Gemma’s devastated family has chosen to release the images as they ask for public support in their campaign to appeal his sentence, as he could be released in six months due to time spent on remand.
Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Kirsty Robinson, 33, said her ‘confident, funny, outgoing sister’ was ‘a shell of herself’ after the brutal attack.
She said: ‘She was struggling, she was struggling at the thought of having to go and face him. It was eating her up every day.
‘It was just going on and on. And obviously out of the blue, she did what she did. She just couldn’t take it anymore.
‘She tried to always put on a front, saying she wanted to face him, but I know deep down she was so scared.
‘She was a shell of herself, breaking down, not sleeping, just emotionally unstable since the attack.
‘At one stage, she thought about buying a protective dog, this is how frightened she was. ‘She just couldn’t get to grips with what he’d done to her. She would say, “how can someone who loves you do that?”’
Joseph Falconer was described in court as a ‘dangerous, jealous and controlling man who took full advantage of the physical strength he has’
The mum ‘thought she would die’ as Falconer dragged her into the bathroom and pushed her into the shower cubicle after she returned home from a night out on November 21, 2019.
Grabbing her under her jawline, he made it difficult for her to breathe as he swore at her and accused her of having sex with another man.
Ms Walters said: ‘He let go of her neck and then punched her repeatedly in the face. She was unsure how many times she was struck but he was saying “Yeah” repeatedly in a belittling manner while punching her.
‘She manoeuvred her head so it was behind the toilet to prevent further assault. The defendant then spat at her and left the property.’
Be also smashed up Gemma’s TV and stole £500 to spend on online gambling during his stay with her.
Kirsty added: ‘It’s awful seeing my family go through this. It’s not fair this has happened anyway and now we’re having to fight this sentence. It shouldn’t be like this, justice should have been served the day he was sentenced.’
'He’s a nasty man, he’s a very dangerous violent man. If you give these light sentences, where they going to learn from it? ‘Her mental health didn’t seem to come into the sentencing at all of. A domestic abuse victim’s mental health is at stake for years after somebody has done that to them. ‘I think this is where it needs to be looked at more. It doesn’t just go away. The victim suffers for a long time, even a lifetime, from the impact.’
