Woman shot at with crossbow urges victims to seek help

Chelsea Hamilton was attacked with a knife and crossbow during incidents across three years

A woman who feared she would be killed by an abusive partner has urged victims of domestic violence to come forward and trust the police to put offenders in jail.

Chelsea Hamilton, 32, was attacked with a knife and crossbow during incidents across three years.

Her ex-partner was sentenced in 2023 to six-and-a-half years imprisonment for various offences.

She has backed an updated police action plan which will see violence against women and girls given the same priority as dealing with terrorism.

'I felt worthless'

"For women, Northern Ireland is one of the most dangerous places to live in Europe," Chelsea told BBC NI News.

Between 2019 and 2024, 30 women and girls have been killed by men.

She has welcomed strategies to tackle the issue, including one launched last week by the Stormont Executive.

"People up top are seeing this is a big problem," she said.

"It is starting to get a wee bit more noise around it which is amazing - if that even helps one woman, that is all you can ask for."

During a relationship, which involved coercive control, a series of attacks saw her punched, kicked, head-butted and choked unconscious.

The man involved was training to be a professional mixed martial arts fighter.

The abuse during the three-year relationship started "small" and got increasingly more violent as it went on.

"There were punches, headbutts and kicks," she told BBC News NI.

"He was an MMA fighter, so he knew where to kick and punch me where it hurt the most and showed the least," she added.

Chelsea did not know when he met him that he had a criminal history.

The abuse was also emotional.

"He would ignore me, get nasty and chip away at my appearance, bring up things that happened to me in the past, saying that I deserved them," she said.

"I felt worthless, he is what I deserved, because I didn’t deserve any better," she added.

'I heard my ribs break'

On one occasion after being threatened, Chelsea was "too scared to go to sleep".

She tried to leave the next day.

Within minutes of her walking away he started to beat her.

"He headbutted me, kicked me and I heard my ribs break," she said.

She went into another room, closed the door and sat on the floor and a crossbow arrow came through the door, which she said would have hit her had she not been sitting.

The PSNI says progress has been made in terms of outcomes for victims but there is still work to be done - stock image

"I then did try to leave, but before I did he put me in a rear naked choke hold and dragged me to the ground."

She screamed, hoping a neighbour would hear her.

"The more I screamed the angrier he got and he whispered in my ear: ‘I’m going to kill you,’ as I started to pass out.

'I'm going to die here'

"I genuinely thought: ‘I’m going to die here.’"

Her abuser left, and she rang her stepdad to come and get her, who rang the police.

Chelsea describes that day as both the worst and best day of her life.

"I didn’t feel like anyone would believe me, because some of the stuff he did was so horrific," she told BBC News NI.

"I’m speaking out so other women don’t go on as long as I did. I don’t want women and girls to get to this point."

Two years ago, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) published an action plan in which it committed to pursuing offenders "relentlessly".

Elaine Crory from the Women's Resource and Development Agency said while the PSNI realised it must "do better" in tackling violence against women and girls, this is a "great improvement to where they were a few years ago".

"The police action plan is very much focused on what the police can do, it's not a wider piece looking at the whole of society," Ms Crory told BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster.

"What we really need to be doing is taking a broader approach that looks at prevention.

"We need to go right back to the source, we need to start dealing with problems when they are just attitudes and thoughts before they start manifesting in terms of criminal action," Ms Crory added.

'Reduction in offences'

It said its actions since were partly responsible for a 16% reduction in this category of offending in the 12 months to July.

During this period it recorded 22,400 offences related to violence against women and girls.

Det Ch Supt Anthony McNally said there had been an increase in outcome rates for victims

Since the plan was launched, there have been 3,000 arrests under new legislation covering domestic abuse, stalking and non-fatal strangulation.

Hundreds of "targeted patrols" have also been undertaken.

Detective Chief Superintendent Anthony McNally said: "Pre-dating our action plan, there were shortcomings in our response which is unacceptable.

"Over the last two years we have worked extremely hard at building relationships with partners, bolstering our training and challenging our own thoughts and behaviours in this space.

"As a result, we have seen a reduction in offences and an increase in outcome rates for victims.

"There is no doubt we have made significant progress but there is more work to be done."

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article there is support available via the BBC Action Line.