Mum-of-four Shares Harrowing Domestic Violence Ordeal

A young mum-of-four, Toni Maher, has told how she was subjected to a brutal attack by her partner, Ben Schumann, when she was four months’ pregnant with twins. Ben, then 21, had accused her of cheating on him. The brutal beating, which landed her in the hospital, left her fearing for the lives of her unborn babies.

She said: “I put up with how Ben treated me for so long because I was young and I thought I was in love. Even early on he would accuse me of cheating, and no matter how much I reassured him I wasn’t. He never believed me.”

Two months into the relationship, Miss Maher fell pregnant with her son, Kye, and Schumann’s behaviour started to become more erratic.

She remembered: “When I was eight months’ gone, we were meant to meet up for dinner, but before I left my water’s broke. I was petrified as it was so premature, but Ben thought I was lying. He said I was blowing him off for another guy – it was ridiculous.”

Miss Maher gave birth to healthy baby Kye with just her mum, Karen Kelly, 49, by her side.

She recalled: “As Kye grew, Ben became more and more jealous. He was sexually demanding, wouldn’t allow me to wear make-up, thongs or hair extensions. He’d force me to wear boxer shorts and cut up all my knickers. I tried to reason with him, but he was convinced that I was doing the dirty. He’d want sex all the time, and if I refused he’d say it was because I was getting it from somewhere else. I thought about leaving him, but I loved him and wanted my son to grow up knowing his father.”

Four months after Kye was born, Miss Maher fell pregnant again and Schumann mellowed.

Only everything changed in July 2013, when Miss Maher was invited to a barbecue by her father.

Miss Maher says: “I told Ben I was going to go but he went crazy, told me I couldn’t go. I was fed up with his controlling behaviour. I got all dressed up and went. When I got back home he was gone. He returned the following evening, drunk, and started shouting at me because I was wearing a dress, make-up and hair extensions. I pleaded with him to calm down, but he worked himself into a frenzy. He called me a slut then he punched me in the face. I kept well away from him, but he was so apologetic. He said, ‘Come here and let me make it better.’ So I went over to him, and it was the worse mistake of my life.”

It was then Schumann launched a brutal attack on pregnant Miss Maher.

He kicked her in the stomach then knelt on top of her and put his hand over her mouth so she couldn’t breathe.

She says: “Then his fists came raining down on my face. I felt myself getting weaker and weaker. I thought, this is it, this is how I’m going to die. The whole time I held my hands over my bump. I didn’t care what he did to my face, I just needed to protect my baby. Suddenly I felt an excruciating pain in my stomach and screamed out. It must have shocked him because he stopped and walked me to the upstairs bathroom. On the way we passed a mirror and gasped. My face was unrecognisable. Ben just kept repeating, ‘It’s your fault.’

As Schumann walked down the stairs, Miss Maher grabbed her mobile phone from her pocket and dialled the police. Overhearing her on the phone, Schumann fled and was arrested at work the following day.

Miss Maher was rushed to hospital where she underwent a series of tests and scans, and two days later she discovered she was having twins.

She explained: “It was overwhelming. Docs were so worried as my baby wasn’t moving. When I found out I was having twins and they were both okay I cried with relief.”

On November 5, 2013, Schumann, of Shaw, Manchester, appeared at Manchester Crown Court, and pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He was given a 12-month jail sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to do 300 hours of unpaid community service.

On December 23, 2013, Miss Maher gave birth to twins Alesha and Riley.

Despite being five weeks premature, both babies were happy and healthy.

She said: “Now they’re 18 months old and so loveable. I’ve since met a new guy, Liam Ager, 23, and he treats all my children like his own. We’ve just found out I’m 12 weeks pregnant and we’re both over the moon. My story has a happy ending. But every time I look down at my miracle babies, I think about how it could have all ended so differently.”

Source: Mirror UK