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A TERRIFIED woman came home to find a severed ear in her bedroom after her ex sliced it off to daub a bloody threat on her wall.
Samuel Hemingway, 24, stalked his victim after they split – waiting for her to get off the bus and threatening to break her legs.
She also woke one night after hearing a scratching noise to find he had written “you are dead tick tock” on her home using a knife.
Hemingway has now been jailed for 16 months after admitting a string of offences, including stalking and common assault.
Bradford Crown Court heard how last November, he “lost his head” after seeing his ex on a night out.
Hemingway went to her home and sliced off the top of his ear, which he used to scrawl a message on the victim’s wall.
She came home to find the piece of flesh on a dressing table in her bedroom and the grim note on her hallway,
When Hemingway was arrested, he told officers: “All I’ve done is write that blood on the wall.”
Police found a pair of blood-stained scissors and items of clothing with blood stains on them.
Prosecutor Nicola Hoskins said the woman was left feeling scared, numb and petrified.
The court was told Hemingway had sent threatening messages to his ex after they broke up.
He also confronted her with a hammer and slapped the victim across the face on two occasions.
How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
After the knife message outside her home, Hemingway was bailed on the condition he did not contact the victim or go to her house.
But the thug defied the order and continued to stalk the terrified woman.
As well as his jail sentence, Hemingway was given a five-year restraining order banning him from contacting his victim.
He pleaded guilty to stalking, common assault, criminal damage, robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.
