A
mother-of-two who lost her memory after a brutal eight-hour attack at
the hands of her boyfriend has brought him to justice - after she was
hypnotised into remembering the assault.
Zoe
Dronfield, 38, from Coventry, West Midlands was stabbed in the neck by
her estranged boyfriend Jason Smith, 31, who then stamped on her head,
leaving her with horrific injuries.
She
passed out and didn't remember the attack at all - until she was
hypnotised into reliving the traumatic ordeal to give evidence.
Zoe Dronfield, 38, from Coventry, West Midlands was stabbed in the neck by her on-off boyfriend Jason Smith, 31, who then stamped on her head, leaving her with horrific injuries
Smith was found guilty of GBH with intent last month at Warwick Crown Court and is now awaiting sentence.
Ms Dronfield suffered a cracked cheekbone, a bleed on the brain from her head being stamped on and a stab wound on her neck, just 1cm from her jugular vein.
She said: 'After the attack I was a shell of my former self and I've never been so low in my life.
'Many women take their own lives after such events but I had to find a way to fight through it and that's why I wanted to get hypnotherapy- to build me back up mentally and fill in the blanks.
'I couldn't remember anything but thanks to the hypnotherapy I have been able to put my life back together and come back fighting.'
Ms Dronfield worked with cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist David Kilmurry a month after her ordeal, and through their sessions was able to piece together what happened on the night she was attacked - and bring Smith to justice.
She said: 'I was able to give evidence in court against Jason all thanks to the hypnotherapy- I would not have been able to do that without David's help.
Ms Dronfield suffered a cracked cheekbone, a bleed on the brain from her head being stamped on and a stab wound on her neck, just 1cm from her jugular vein
She passed out and didn't remember the attack at all - until she was hypnotised into reliving the traumatic ordeal to give evidence
Both of her arms were cut in the attack. Smith was found guilty of GBH with intent last month at Warwick Crown Court and is now awaiting sentence
'I want to show other women they can do the same, we do not have to let abusers win.'
Ms Dronfield had been in a relationship with Smith for a year and he showered her with gifts and meals out at expensive restaurants.
But when he became increasingly controlling she decided to have time out from the relationship.
It was during this separation that the couple met on February 2 2014, before Smith brutally attacked her while she slept.
She said: 'My bedroom was covered in blood and the bed was sodden. It was like a scene from a horror film.
'Jason had never previously showed any signs of being a violent man - quite the opposite - in fact he made me feel like the most precious person in the world.
'He would call me his soul mate and his princess and even said he was my protector. It is shocking I was with this man and not aware of this capability. '
She said the pair met through Facebook: 'He added me on Facebook and we had about 100 mutual friends so I assumed I knew him.
'We got chatting online and he came across as a very professional car salesman and a family man.
'He showered me with compliments and offered to take me out.
The couple pictured in happier times. Ms Dronfield had been in a relationship with Smith for a year and he showered her with gifts and meals out at expensive restaurants
But when he became increasingly controlling she decided to have time out from the relationship. It was during this separation that the couple met on February 2 2014, before Smith brutally attacked her
'We started dating and he would take me to posh restaurants and top hotels.
'He held doors open and called me his princess. I was very flattered of course.
'I didn't realise coming on so strongly so early was a red flag.'
It was after her father became seriously ill that Jason's behaviour started to change.
She said: 'My dad would help me a lot with my children and Jason stepped in to help out. He was amazing and would look after the children for me when I worked.
'But I realise now this was a way of him controlling my life. At that point he was my saviour - little did I know what destruction was around the corner.
'Jason changed and would stop me from seeing my friends and always just make plans for the two of us.
She asked Smith to move out so he could sort himself out before agreeing to meet a week later to talk things through.
She said: 'We spent the night talking and eventually Jason fell asleep on my sofa, and I went through to bed.
'The next thing I knew, I woke up covered in blood.'
Ms Dronfield Zoe recovering in hospital. Ms Dronfield worked with cognitive behavioural hypnotherapist David Kilmurry a month after her ordeal
'My first thought was I wasn't going to die because I needed to be there for my children.
'I grew up without a mother and I didn't want that for my children.
'The whole house was covered in blood. The bedroom was red and the bed was sodden.
'The bath was filled with water and he was cleaning knives in the bath. There was an 8-inch knife and a meat cleaver.
She said: 'With David's help I have been able to put this whole terrible ordeal behind me. Seeing Jason found guilty has given me closure and allowed me to move on with my life.
Mr Kilmurry, 39, a cognitive behavioral hypnotherapist, from Coventry, said: 'Zoe has made an amazing recovery from devastating physical and psychological injuries, to go to court and give evidence.
Through their sessions was able to piece together what happened on the night she was attacked - and bring Smith to justice
'I have worked with Zoe and I am proud to have helped her to retrieve her memory and rebuild her confidence following the trauma.
'I feel that her development has been quite amazing. Her head injury was described as moderate to severe closed head. Of the people that survive this type of injury 75 per cent never return to work. Zoe has not only returned to work but has gone and got a better job and set up a charity and has been helping others less fortunate as herself.
'Directly after the event Zoe had no recollection of what had happened to her. It wasn't until later on down the hypnotherapy line that the trust built up and she was confident enough to go to 'parts unknown' we embarked on some regression to the event and the detail she remembered was quite amazing even in and out of unconsciousness.'
Jason Smith, from Coventry will be sentenced at Coventry Crown Court next month.
source: Daily mail