A woman who was tortured for ten hours after being kept against her will told a court she thought she was going to die during the ordeal.
46-year-old Tommy Hitt from Sutton Veny, Wiltshire, kept his victim at his property against her will, assaulted her numerous times and shaved her head.
Hitt has now been jailed for 21.5 years at Winchester Crown Court after previously pleading guilty to multiple domestic violence offences.
The victim has released shocking injury photos via police, showing the long-lasting physical and psychological injuries, including damage to her face, permanent damage to her eyes, teeth and arm.
In an impact statement, the victim said: ‘I can’t get the words he said to me out of my head, about killing me. I can’t walk down the road without looking over my shoulder. Everything has changed.
‘He beat me up for about 9 and a half hours. If I hadn’t managed to get away, he would have killed me.
‘He told me that I had to ring my mum to say goodbye and for her to say goodbye to me because he was going to kill me. I was dying that night. I keep hearing those words.’
Hitt had charges including intentional strangulation, false imprisonment and grievous bodily harm with intent.
He was also convicted of sexual assault, threats to kill and assault causing actual bodily harm.
Hitt was also convicted of criminal damage to property valued under £5000 and possession of a class B drug.
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He was also ordered to pay a surcharge of £228 and was made the subject of a restraining order.
The victim, who has not been named, asked police to release the images of her injuries in the hope that other victims may seek support.
Speaking after the case, DC James Gatherum, of Central CID, said: ‘In the late evening of February 21, 2025, Wiltshire Police received a 999 call to an address in Shaw.
‘A woman answered the door with significant and very pronounced injuries. This was the beginning of the end of a 10-hour ordeal at the hands of Tommy Hitt. The victim was kept at an address against her will, with her mobile phone deliberately damaged by him.
Learn more about domestic abuse in the UK
- One in 4 women will experience domestic abuse at some point in their lives
- ONS research revealed that, in 2023, the police recorded a domestic abuse offence approximately every 40 seconds
- Yet Crime Survey for England & Wales data for the year ending March 2023 found only 18.9% of women who experienced partner abuse in the last 12 months reported the abuse to the police
- According to Refuge, 84% of victims in domestic abuse cases are female, with 93% of defendants being male
- Safe Lives reports that disabled women are twice as likely to experience domestic abuse as non-disabled women, and typically experience domestic abuse for a longer period of time before accessing support
- Refuge has also found that, on average, it takes seven attempts before a woman is able to leave for good.
‘Hitt strangled her and assaulted her with such force that he fractured her eye socket, leaving her with extensive bruising and swelling. She has lasting damage to both her retinas and has lost a number of teeth.
‘The victim was also sexually assaulted twice during those 10 hours, with threats being made by Hitt that he would kill her. To add further degradation to the victim, Hitt forcibly shaved her hair off,’ he added.
‘He then drove her to another location, and while doing so, repeatedly assaulted her within the vehicle. Fortunately, with quick thinking, the victim managed to escape, and she was able to raise the alarm.
“I would like to thank her for her incredible bravery in reporting the offences to the police, staying on board throughout the criminal justice process and speaking of her traumatic experience.’
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