Nightmare at the hands of my lover

Kim was stripped naked and beaten unconscious outside a pub in front of a crowd of horrified onlookers after a row with crazed factory worker Martin Buckley.

Buckley, 32, of Elderfield Crescent, Didcot, attacked his partner of seven years because she wanted to go on to a club with her friends, after a night out at the Great Western Junction Hotel, in Didcot.

At Oxford Crown Court, he was jailed for 30 months for the assault, which the judge described as "appalling". Kim told the Oxford Mail today: "He rings me every day from prison but I won't have anything to do with him because I fear he will try to kill me when his sentence ends.

"I stood by my man for far too long but I am not prepared to do it any more because I need to try to re-build my life."

Kim described Buckley as a danger to the public, who had threatened to kill her on other occasions.

She added: "He behaved like an animal and deserved to be punished. I think the sentence was quite lenient. When he comes out I will have to move." Oxford Crown Court heard that Buckley and Kim, 34, went to the pub on October 16 last year.

Alan Blake, prosecuting, said Buckley became agitated and told barman Stephen James to take his glass before he "glassed someone."

Then he followed Kim into the toilets to try to drag her out. The barman tried to intervene but Buckley warned him he would "stab his eye out".

Mr Blake added: "In the car park, the defendant knocked her to the ground. He then stripped her naked before kicking her until she fell into unconsciousness.

"Witnesses said Buckley behaved like a man possessed." Police were called and Buckley, who worked for a chemical factory, was arrested. Kim needed stitches to her chin and lip.

Terence Woods, defending, said Buckley suffered from insecurity which manifested itself in jealousy.

Buckley launched the attack, he said, because she wanted to carry on the night with her friends, but he didn't want her to. Mr Woods said the relationship was now over.

Buckley, the court was told, had 60 previous convictions including a number for violence.

Judge Andrew Geddes said: "This was a serious sustained physical assault. Miss Whitehead's humiliation does not need to be described to be imagined."

He jailed Buckley for 30 months after he admitted assault causing actual bodily harm. He will serve half the sentence before being released. Mum-of-two Kim, who worked as an accountant before the attack, said she would be mentally scarred for life. She is unable to work and rarely leaves home.

Speaking from her home in Elderfield Crescent, she told the Oxford Mail she hoped she would never see Buckley again. She said she needed her daughter Ashley, 13, and son Stephen, 15, for constant support.

"I have needed psychiatric help," she said, "and one of my friends who witnessed the attack is on anti-depressants. I was so badly hurt that I needed a blood transfusion.

"The week before the attack Martin tried to kill himself and on the night he just flipped.

"He held women in very low esteem and had attacked me many times before. Kim met Buckley in 1994 when he was a milkman. Before long they were a couple, living together and working together on their own business.

But Kim began to realise that Buckley was becoming obsessed with her.

"He suffered from paranoia and jealousy and he was obsessive and possessive," she said.

"Initially there were some good times. He stopped drinking and would do things around the home.

"But then the violence started and I didn't feel able to leave him straight away. Martin would ask me to marry him every day but I never agreed because I thought his behaviour would become even more obsessive. "Shortly after we had first met, he told me he was going to marry another woman in Aylesbury.

"I accepted it and even went on his stag do but the marriage was annulled within a week and he came straight back to me."

him because I fear he will try to kill me when his sentence ends. I stood by my man for far too long but I am not prepared to do it any more. I need to try to re-build my life."

Kim, 36, described Buckley as a danger to the public, who had threatened to kill her on other occasions. She added: "He behaved like an animal and deserved to be punished. I think the sentence was quite lenient. When he comes out I will have to move."

Oxford Crown Court was told the attack happened on October 16 last year. Alan Blake, prosecuting, said Buckley first followed Kim into the toilets to try to drag her out.

The barman tried to intervene but Buckley warned him he would "stab his eye out".

Mr Blake added: "In the car park, the defendant knocked her to the ground. He then stripped her naked before kicking her until she fell into unconsciousness. Witnesses said Buckley behaved like a man possessed." Police were called and Buckley was arrested. Kim needed stitches to her face.

Terence Woods, defending, said Buckley suffered from insecurity which manifested itself in jealousy. Buckley launched the attack, he said, because she wanted to carry on the night with her friends, but he didn't want her to.

Buckley, had 60 previous convictions including a number for violence. Judge Andrew Geddes said: "This was a serious sustained assault. Miss Whitehead's humiliation does not need to be described to be imagined."

He jailed Buckley after he admitted assault causing actual bodily harm.

Mum-of-two Kim, who worked as an accountant before the attack, said she would be mentally scarred for life. She is unable to work full-time and rarely leaves home. Speaking from her home in Elderfield Crescent, she said she hoped she would never see Buckley again.

"I have needed psychiatric help and one of my friends who witnessed the attack is on anti-depressants," she said.

"Martin held women in very low esteem and had attacked me many times before." Kim met Buckley in 1994 when he was a milkman. Before long they were a couple, living together and working together on their own business.

But Kim began to realise that Buckley was becoming obsessed with her.

"He suffered from paranoia and jealousy and he was obsessive and possessive," she said.

"Initially there were some good times. He stopped drinking and would do things around the home.

"But then the violence started and I didn't feel able to leave him straight away. Martin would ask me to marry him every day but I never agreed because I thought his behaviour would become even more obsessive.

"Shortly after we had first met, he told me he was going to marry another woman in Aylesbury.

"I accepted it and even went on his stag do but the marriage was annulled within a week and he came straight back to me."

Story date: Monday 21 February

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.