'I was certain I would die', says victim of domestic abuse

Iwona Giza said the abuse she experienced was "psychologically damaging and long lasting"

Content Warning: This story contains discussions of domestic abuse.

A victim of domestic abuse endured repeated and sustained incidents of non-fatal strangulation and was filmed as her abuser made her eat food off the floor.

Iwona Giza, a 28-year-old qualified doctor, said the abuse she experienced was "psychologically damaging and long lasting".

On 23 October, 41-year-old Barry Maguire from Omagh in County Tyrone was sentenced to five years, half to be spent in custody and the remaining on license, for domestic abuse offences against Iwona including five counts of non-fatal strangulation.

Iwona said she wanted to share her story so that more victims feel confident enough to break their silence.

Originally from Dublin, Ms Giza met Maguire in 2021 during a vulnerable point in her life after she graduated medical school.

She said she did not have any close friends or family and considered him the only relevant person in her life.

Ms Giza said the abuse started out as verbal about two months into their relationship and she said she always blamed herself.

"It then progressed into physical abuse, strangulation and choking became a regular thing," she told BBC News NI.

Ms Giza said she also suffered from an eating disorder and said this was mostly blamed for his frustration, as well as jealousy that she was working in a hospital and interacting with other men.

She said he took away her phone and wallet so she could not access any help.

Barry Maguire was sentenced to five years for domestic abuse offences including five counts of non-fatal strangulation

On the night Maguire was arrested he forced Ms Giza to eat food off the floor while he filmed her.

"He just threw the food on the floor, was screaming at me, poured beer over my head and came up with the idea to demand I eat off the floor. He stated that if I do not do it then he will shove it down my throat," she said.

"I was certain that I'm going to die because whilst he was choking me and spitting at me he whispered to my ear that I'm going to die."

She said she is very grateful to her neighbours who helped her because without them she "wouldn't be here".

She is also grateful that Maguire is now locked away so he cannot abuse other women.

"The physical abuse I experienced was very traumatic, psychologically damaging and long lasting," Ms Giza said.

'Not the same person'

"To this day when I feel anxious I can feel that breathlessness like every time he choked me and I was unable to breathe.

"His degrading actions caused me to lose confidence in myself and it has taken me considerable time to get control over my life again and to realise that I did not deserve the treatment he subjected me to."

Ms Giza said she is still struggling today but she is not the same person she was during that time.

"I've been very lucky to find the love of my life and it's just absolutely amazing. I'm just amazed that at the age of 28 I've been taught what loving is."

She has encouraged other victims of domestic abuse to "never feel ashamed, do not blame yourself, always reach out, if it feels wrong if you feel unsafe or scared - ask for help".

"I was ashamed, embarrassed, I thought I deserve it and I would like other people, both males and females, to know that it's not their fault and they do not deserve it, if it feels wrong they should report it," Ms Giza said.

Last year the PSNI recorded 32,763 domestic abuse incidents and nearly 20,000 domestic abuse crimes.

They said they are also making, on average, 84 arrests each month for domestic abuse offences.

If you are affected by any of the issues in this story, help and support is available at BBC Action Line