Domestic abuse: Gwynedd woman held at gunpoint by ex-boyfriend calls for better support

A woman who was held hostage at gunpoint by her ex-boyfriend is calling for more action to support victims of domestic abuse.

Rhianon Bragg was ambushed by Gareth Wyn Jones from Rhosgadfan near Caernarfon as she arrived home late at night on 15 August 2019.

Wearing camouflage gear and armed with a shotgun, he subjected her to an eight-hour overnight ordeal of threats.

She said she was "trying to stay alive, minute by minute".

"I pulled up, got out of the car, and then from just in front of me, Gareth leapt out from the shadows, shotgun up at my chest.

"I screamed. It was a shock but not a surprise.

After her own ordeal, Rhianon Bragg is calling for more support for victims of domestic abuse

"I'd been telling the police for months that he'd been getting worse. But it was still terrifying.

"I screamed and told him to put the gun down. He just looked at me and said no, he wasn't going to.

"And that was the beginning of eight hours of being held against my will - the barrel of the gun an inch away from my chest, being told I was going to be killed.

"Even at the points when he wasn't pointing the gun at me, I knew he's stronger than me, he's bigger than me, and I can't outrun what comes from the barrel of a gun. He could always shoot me as I walked away.

"There were times when I thought I would never see my children again.

"I was trying to live minute by minute, constantly thinking of what I needed to say, how I needed to react to him, just to stay alive."

Five years of abuse

Rhianon Bragg said Gareth Wyn Jones was controlling and threatening for a large part of their five-year relationship

Ms Bragg said that her ex-boyfriend had been controlling and threatening for a large part of their five-year relationship.

But even when she ended it, the threats and harassment continued, culminating in her being held hostage for the night.

She managed to convince him to let her go to a doctor's appointment the next morning.

Once inside the surgery, she told her GP what had happened. The surgery was put into lockdown and police arrested her abuser in the car park.

He was sentenced to four and a half years in prison in March 2020 and when he is released, a restraining order will prevent him from coming near her home.

But Ms Bragg said she was concerned that will not be enough to keep him away. And she said her experience in the court system had left her wondering if victims of domestic abuse needed more support.

"All the way through the system, victims should be supported and guided," she said.

"They are victims of some quite horrific violent crimes - they should be looked after, their needs addressed.

"They should receive the proper care in what is a completely foreign world for most people.

"And when the perpetrators are released, the victims should be able to lead lives without fear of retribution and live in safety.

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A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: "Our sympathy remains with Ms Bragg and we are committed to ensuring more perpetrators of these devastating crimes are brought to justice through our landmark Domestic Abuse Bill.

"Offenders released on licence, after passing Parole Board assessment, are closely monitored and face being returned to prison if they breach strict conditions on where they can travel and who they can contact."

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: "We take domestic abuse extremely seriously, and we remain determined to bring perpetrators to justice and provide victims with the greatest possible protection from repeat offending."

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