A CALNE mother-of-two who was beaten up so badly by her ex-partner that she was unrecognisable has spoken about her ordeal, hoping to raise awareness of Clare’s Law and help prevent attacks on other women.

Patsy Jacobs needed surgery after suffering a broken eye socket, a broken nose and had the muscle torn from her cheek, leaving it permanently numb, after partner Nathaniel Dimond repeatedly punched her in the face in an unprovoked attack.

Dimond had been reported to police for seven other domestic violence incidents before he got involved with Miss Jacobs, but had avoided prosecution as previous partners feared for their safety if they came forward, according to Miss Jacobs.

She believes that if his violent attack had not been interrupted by her 15-year-old daughter, he would have killed her.

The 31-year-old was jailed for five-and-a-half years following the attack at Miss Jacobs’ home in Zander Road in January. The attack happened while her two daughters, aged 15 and 10, were in the house.

Miss Jacobs did not know about Clare’s Law, which allows someone to find out whether a partner has a history of domestic violence, and wants other women to be aware of it.

“I found out after the attack he had a history of domestic violence, seven incidents, which I would have known if I’d heard of Clare’s Law,” said the 36-year-old. “He’d held me down once before but most of it was him emotionally blackmailing me.

“I said to him ‘I don’t want to be with you’ and he said he would kill himself. Since the attack I haven’t been able to do my job working as a waitress and barmaid at The Black Horse in Cherhill. People have seen me walking around with my face the way it is looking and are expecting me to stay in and hide, but I’m not doing that.”

She recalled the day of the attack. “He was stressed out, so I sent him out to get some cigarettes and hoped that would calm him down when he came back,” she said.

“He got back and had my phone and said there were messages from other guys on it and he shoved the phone in his pocket. I couldn’t believe he punched me, and he kept punching me like he was in a boxing match.

“My daughter Caity came into the room and said ‘what have you done to my mum’s face?’ and he stopped then, started crying and said he was really sorry.

“If Caity didn’t come in I think he would have carried on.

At the trial in March, Swindon Crown Court heard how Dimond had been drinking at Miss Jacobs’ home on January 26 and confronted her with false allegations that she had been contacting other men by phone.

At his trial at Swindon Crown Court in March, Dimond pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and common assault.

“During the trial he was trying to make out that he was bipolar and when they brought up the other incidents from the past he said he didn’t remember them,” added Miss Jacobs.

“When he was sentenced it was really emotional but it also seemed weird, as everything had happened in about six weeks.

“It’s important to make people aware of Clare’s Law, as even if it can make a difference to one person that’s what matters.”