Mum-of-two reveals her terror after ex strangled her until she passed out and smashed her head into TV
A MUM-of-two has spoken of her terror after her ex-boyfriend strangled her until she passed out and smashed her head into a TV.
Lexi Nicholas, 37, was twice assaulted by Robert Marsh after their two-year relationship ended and he was convicted of actual bodily harm last month – though he escaped a prison sentence.
Lexi, a mum of two young girls who runs a successful beauty therapy business, and Marsh got together after being friends.
At first Marsh, who worked away during the week, was never abusive and got on well with the family so Lexi had nothing to worry about.
Together, the family were even meant to be spending the Christmas of a lifetime in the Caribbean.
But things started to go downhill in May last year when she decided to breakup with him after he quit working and his attitude “massively changed”.
Lexi was first assaulted on October 27, 2019, when she was at home alone and a drunk Marsh started to make a commotion outside her door in the early hours of the morning.
He knocked my head through the TV
Lexi Nicholas
“The moment I opened that door he assaulted me instantly,” she told WalesOnline.
“He was just in an absolute blind rage. He knocked my head through the TV, punched holes in the doors and completely trashed the bedroom.
“I had managed to ring the police, I was downstairs in the play room on the phone, and he kicked the playroom door completely down – and it’s a fire door.
“He grabbed the phone, the police were advising him to leave and that’s when he snapped my phone.
“He threw a bottle of water all over me, punched me again, strangled me and that’s when the police arrived.
“He was dipping from hysterical to calm, to hysterical to calm. I wanted to get out of the house but he had taken my keys as well.”
Marsh was arrested and pleaded guilty to assault and criminal damage and was released on bail.
To Lexi he appeared genuinely remorseful and told her was struggling to come to terms with their break-up but three days before Christmas he assaulted her again.
“I went into Cardiff with my friends, he went in on his works do and when we were coming home he asked if we could share a taxi because he had some stuff here,” she said.
“He came in absolutely fine and that’s when it kicked off. He lost it again. He was refusing to leave, it was like someone had flipped a switch.
STRANGLED UNTIL PASSED OUT
“He demanded food, he was rooting through the cupboards. Then he assaulted me again. He strangled me until I passed out on the bottom of the stairs.”
Marsh was found guilty of ABH and was given a two-year community order and fined £590 as well being ordered to attend rehabilitation activity.
But for Lexi, a non-custodial sentence is not enough to give her peace of mind and she takes medication for her anxiety, while her kids are worried Marsh will turn up.
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He motivation for speaking out about her own experience is fuelled her determination to raise awareness of Clare’s Law.
Named in memory of 36-year-old Clare Wood, who was murdered by her boyfriend in 2009, it gives people the power to check whether a partner, family member or even next-door neighbour has any previous
convictions for violence.
“It should be in schools, there should be posters everywhere, it should be on social media but it’s not. I want women to come forward, to know it’s okay.”