'I feel so let down - my abuser walked free'

Suzanne Symonds said she has been left with injuries affecting her day-to-day life

A woman has said she feels "so utterly let down" that her husband avoided jail after subjecting her to years of domestic abuse.

Suzanne Symonds, 38, from Ashford, Kent, was left severely injured by Terry Andrews, who received a suspended sentence for the abuse.

In a process she calls "horrific", she had to wait for almost three years for the case to reach court.

The government says it is considering "once-in-a-generation" reforms to get swifter justice for victims.

Ms Symonds described the initial stages of her relationship with Andrews as "the most all-encompassing love I'd ever felt".

The couple met in 2017, but she says that within 18 months of the relationship they had an argument, and he became violent.

"As a woman I always thought I would never allow anyone to treat me like that," she said.

"But it's a very strange feeling when you're as in love as I was, and you kind of make excuses and allowances for it."

Years of abuse followed and Ms Symonds said she was left with life-changing injuries.

Andrews was arrested in November 2022.

She said: "I've never phoned 999 in my life, but the violence escalated to such a degree, I feared for my life and I didn't have a choice, I felt like I'm going to die if I carry on doing this".

'Inexcusable'

Andrews pleaded guilty to charges including controlling or coercive behaviour in an intimate or family relationship, and inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Earlier this month, he was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for two years, and was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

A restraining order was imposed for five years.

Ms Symonds says she was frustrated that her abuser had not been jailed.

She said: "The level of abuse, the amount of charges… then for him to walk away is inexcusable."

It has been reported that Andrews' court case heard positive statements about his character given in mitigation in court.

Ms Symonds described her ordeal as "the most difficult, stressful, upsetting, emotional rollercoaster.

"I've been described as having PTSD, so it's just been awful.

"I feel so let down by the judicial system, but I'm incredibly proud of myself."

Ellie Butt from the charity Refuge, which supports victims of domestic abuse, said: "All forms of domestic abuse need to be fully understood for the huge impact that they have on survivors and the horrific suffering that goes on.

"We know that the prison system is full and that the government are trying to reduce it, but this must not be done on the back of survivor's safety."

• If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC's Action Line website

The Ministry of Justice said: "Victims like Suzanne Symonds are waiting far too long for justice because of the record and growing courts backlog this Government inherited.

"It's why we have invested in record Crown Court sittings and are considering once-in-a-generation reforms to get swifter justice for victims.

"We remain committed to halving violence against women and girls and have maintained funding levels for sexual violence and domestic abuse support this year."