Sentence Sparks Outrage
A mother who endured years of violent abuse has spoken of her fury after her husband avoided jail. The man, convicted of repeated assaults and controlling behaviour, walked free from court with a suspended sentence. For his victim, it was a moment that felt like betrayal after everything she had suffered.
Suzanne Symonds from Kent endured four years of cruelty at the hands of her husband, Terry Andrews. She says the abuse began subtly before escalating into terrifying physical violence. Over time, she became isolated from friends and family, too afraid to seek help or even speak about what was happening behind closed doors.
Years Of Violence
Between 2018 and 2022, Suzanne says she was attacked multiple times, leaving her with serious injuries including a broken wrist that needed two operations. In court, Andrews admitted causing grievous bodily harm, coercive control, actual bodily harm and criminal damage. Despite the disturbing evidence, the judge chose to suspend his two-year sentence, ordering unpaid work and therapy instead of immediate prison time.
Suzanne says she was stunned as the verdict was read. “After everything, I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “I thought the system would protect me, but it feels like it protected him.”
The Human Cost
Speaking publicly for the first time since the sentencing, Suzanne revealed photographs of her injuries and described nights she thought she would not survive. She recalled the final attack when she ran from her home, shaking as she called police for help. “I thought I was going to die,” she said. “He looked at me like I was nothing. I’ll never forget that.”
Her words have struck a chord with domestic abuse charities and campaigners who say her case highlights a worrying pattern of lenient sentences for repeat offenders. Many have argued that courts still fail to understand the long-term psychological damage of coercive and controlling behaviour.
Calls For Change
Legal experts have voiced concern that suspended sentences in cases of violent abuse undermine public confidence in the justice system. Campaigners are urging for sentencing guidelines to be updated so that prolonged patterns of abuse are treated as severely as single acts of violence.
Suzanne says she is now focusing on recovery and using her experience to help others. She is working with domestic abuse charities to raise awareness and push for reform. “I’m alive, and I’m free,” she said, “but knowing he’s free too doesn’t feel like justice.”
As her case sparks debate across the country, many are left asking how many more victims must endure the same heartbreak before change truly comes.
