Abuse victim went from 'bubbly' to 'recluse', mum says

Cara Bryant had a "bubbly" personality but became a recluse during her relationship, her mother said

The mother of a woman abused by her partner has described how her daughter changed from being "bubbly" to a "recluse" after meeting him.

Edward Rudd, 37, was found guilty of the attempted murder of Cara Bryant, 36, and jailed for 11-and-a-half years at Bristol Crown Court on 11 September.

Her mother Louise Carr said: "In her eyes, he was treating her like a princess and wanted to marry her."

Ms Bryant died of unrelated causes soon after Rudd's arrest in December 2019.

'Very special'

"She was a lovable, bubbly person, full of life, soul of any party.

"She was just absolutely lovely," Ms Carr said.

But as her relationship progressed, her mother said she saw less of her daughter and she became "a recluse" who she only spoke to on the phone.

She said they used to go shopping together regularly but when her daughter met Rudd "things changed".

"He did all the shopping and she never really went out," she said.

"He took over everything.

"He did the gardening, he helped with the housework, he did all the shopping, he took over controlling her medication," she added.

'Pathological liar'

Ms Bryant, from Melksham, became estranged from her family over Rudd's language which he passed off as "army banter" but which "raised alarm bells", Ms Carr said.

Despite this, when Ms Bryant later made claims about his behaviour, her family "didn't know what to believe" as he was a "pathological liar".

Rudd was arrested on 11 December 2019 after trying to suffocate his partner.

He described the attack as a "prank".

Ms Carr urged anyone who feared a relative was in an abusive relationship to get them "to open up to you".

"Try to support them, and tell them it's not their fault," she said.

Det Con Kerry Foster, from Wiltshire Police said: "Edward Rudd was a manipulative and violent man - isolating Cara from her family and friends.

"He tormented her physically and mentally as well as being totally coercive in his control of her. "

Wiltshire Police has said reported domestic crimes rose from 6,562 between September 2018 to August 2019 to 7,279 between September 2019 and August 2020.