A woman who was horrifically scalded when her partner poured a kettle of boiling water over her has revealed how she was left screaming in agony after the attack. Rachel Halliwell, 38, from Lancashire, reveals that her ex-boyfriend Vincent Vernon, who was staying at her house, emptied every last drop of boiling water over her head, face and upper body. She said. 'The water splashed everywhere and I could feel my skin blistering. But he just stared at me, coolly, and emptied the last few drops on my head. He’s a monster.' Rachel fears that her own kind-heartedness sparked her ordeal at the hands of her attacker, who has been jailed for six years. Now she's speaking out in the hope that her experience could help prevent other women from becoming victims of domestic violence. Rachel says: 'Vinnie and I had already split up, and our relationship was well and truly over. But he begged for a place to stay and I gave in. I felt sorry for him.'
It was on that night that Vernon attacked her with the boiling water. 'He knew our relationship was over, and he was jealous,' she said.
'The water splashed everywhere and I could feel my skin blistering', she said, pictured in hospital. 'If he couldn’t have me, he was determined to make sure that nobody else would want me – so he scarred me for life.'
The couple met in their local pub in May 2009. They got on well and by August that year their relationship had become serious.
Rachel says: 'Vinnie and I had a really good laugh together. He had a great sense of humour.
'We were just friends at first, but he sort of grew on me. I found myself falling for him, gradually. 'We had both come out of serious relationships, so we were cautious at first. Vinnie had two children with his ex-girlfriend, and he spoke about how much he missed them. 'As time went on, I found myself trusting Vinnie. He’d come over for barbeques at the weekend and we went out for drinks together.' At the end of the year, they moved in together.
Rachel says: 'It was only after we moved in together that the relationship started to crumble.
'Vinnie became very possessive. He didn’t like me going anywhere without him. He gave me a hard time even when I was going to work. 'He accused me of having affairs with all the men I knew. 'Even when I went to Asda once, he went crazy because I was wearing make-up. He thought I was lying to him. 'It didn’t help that I was working full-time, and Vinnie didn’t have a job. He did help out at home, but it still annoyed me that he had nothing better to do.
'I’d come home from work and have to put up with Vinnie’s jealousy and his paranoia, accusing me of carrying on with other men. It just got too much.'
At the end of January 2010, the couple had a furious row – and Vinnie headbutted her.
Rachel says: 'I was stunned. He had never hit me before. I was shaken, and really upset. He seemed to completely lose it, and began throwing furniture and smashing the whole house up. He even smashed the TV.'
Rachel fled to her mother’s house and rang the police.
She says: 'Vinnie called and said he was sorry, but for me, it was over. I had no doubts at all. I just couldn’t forgive him.'
Vinnie appeared in court and admitted assaulting Rachel and damaging her home. He was jailed for 80 days. on his release, he called and begged her to let him stay at her home.
I was frightened of him, but I also felt sorry for him. She says: 'He said he had nowhere else to stay, and that it would just be for a few days.
'I know it sounds ridiculous, but I agreed. Part of me was terrified of what he might do, if I refused. I knew how nasty he could be.
'I was frightened of him, but I also felt sorry for him. I suppose I let my heart rule my head. I didn’t want to feel that I was responsible for making someone homeless.”
Despite Vinnie’s repeated attempts to rekindle their romance, Rachel made it clear that the relationship was over – but allowed him to stay in her spare room.
That weekend, she went out with her best friend, also called Rachel. They bumped into Vinnie, in the local pub.
Rachel says: 'I said hello to him but then we went off to a nightclub. When we got home, Vinnie was in the kitchen.'
The two women sat chatting in the living room. Vinnie then appeared, carrying a steaming kettle, and poured boiling water over Rachel.
It was on that night that Vernon attacked her with the boiling water. 'He knew our relationship was over, and he was jealous,' she said.
'The water splashed everywhere and I could feel my skin blistering', she said, pictured in hospital. 'If he couldn’t have me, he was determined to make sure that nobody else would want me – so he scarred me for life.'
The couple met in their local pub in May 2009. They got on well and by August that year their relationship had become serious.
Rachel says: 'Vinnie and I had a really good laugh together. He had a great sense of humour.
'We were just friends at first, but he sort of grew on me. I found myself falling for him, gradually. 'We had both come out of serious relationships, so we were cautious at first. Vinnie had two children with his ex-girlfriend, and he spoke about how much he missed them. 'As time went on, I found myself trusting Vinnie. He’d come over for barbeques at the weekend and we went out for drinks together.' At the end of the year, they moved in together.
Rachel says: 'It was only after we moved in together that the relationship started to crumble.
'Vinnie became very possessive. He didn’t like me going anywhere without him. He gave me a hard time even when I was going to work. 'He accused me of having affairs with all the men I knew. 'Even when I went to Asda once, he went crazy because I was wearing make-up. He thought I was lying to him. 'It didn’t help that I was working full-time, and Vinnie didn’t have a job. He did help out at home, but it still annoyed me that he had nothing better to do.
'I’d come home from work and have to put up with Vinnie’s jealousy and his paranoia, accusing me of carrying on with other men. It just got too much.'
At the end of January 2010, the couple had a furious row – and Vinnie headbutted her.
Rachel says: 'I was stunned. He had never hit me before. I was shaken, and really upset. He seemed to completely lose it, and began throwing furniture and smashing the whole house up. He even smashed the TV.'
Rachel fled to her mother’s house and rang the police.
She says: 'Vinnie called and said he was sorry, but for me, it was over. I had no doubts at all. I just couldn’t forgive him.'
Vinnie appeared in court and admitted assaulting Rachel and damaging her home. He was jailed for 80 days. on his release, he called and begged her to let him stay at her home.
I was frightened of him, but I also felt sorry for him. She says: 'He said he had nowhere else to stay, and that it would just be for a few days.
'I know it sounds ridiculous, but I agreed. Part of me was terrified of what he might do, if I refused. I knew how nasty he could be.
'I was frightened of him, but I also felt sorry for him. I suppose I let my heart rule my head. I didn’t want to feel that I was responsible for making someone homeless.”
Despite Vinnie’s repeated attempts to rekindle their romance, Rachel made it clear that the relationship was over – but allowed him to stay in her spare room.
That weekend, she went out with her best friend, also called Rachel. They bumped into Vinnie, in the local pub.
Rachel says: 'I said hello to him but then we went off to a nightclub. When we got home, Vinnie was in the kitchen.'
The two women sat chatting in the living room. Vinnie then appeared, carrying a steaming kettle, and poured boiling water over Rachel.
She says: 'It seemed to happen in slow motion. Vinnie came in with the kettle and I presumed he was making a brew. But he just carried on walking and then threw the water. I was screaming in shock.
'The pain didn’t hit me at first. Vinnie tipped the kettle right up and shook it, several times, so that I got the last few drops. It was horrific.'
Rachel’s friend called the police and ambulance and Vinnie fled. The two women tried to remove her clothes and bathe her skin, as they waited for help. She was rushed to hospital and then transferred to a specialist burns unit. She spent 18 days in hospital. (Dailymail)
'The pain didn’t hit me at first. Vinnie tipped the kettle right up and shook it, several times, so that I got the last few drops. It was horrific.'
Rachel’s friend called the police and ambulance and Vinnie fled. The two women tried to remove her clothes and bathe her skin, as they waited for help. She was rushed to hospital and then transferred to a specialist burns unit. She spent 18 days in hospital. (Dailymail)
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