Your Say | St George & Sutherland Shire Leader

Warning: This story contains details of violence that some readers may find distressing. A brave woman delivered a powerful statement to her evil ex-partner before he was sentenced for inflicting repeated, harrowing acts of violence against her while she was pregnant. Tianna Humphreys spoke of how she chose David Richard Matthews over and over, despite him manipulating, degrading, and subjecting her to unspeakable acts. The 27-year-old said she eventually became a shell of her former self. "I chose you after you belittled me. I chose you after you punched and kicked me," Humphreys said through tears at Wollongong District Court on Wednesday. "I chose you after you choked me. I chose you after every time you raped me. "Although I chose to forgive you, I also chose to never forget your choices. "How you chose to make me never feel good enough. How you chose to make me relive the trauma you inflicted." Matthews, aged 31 of Shellharbour, was sentenced to 12 years jail for a series of horrifying abuse he committed over a three-year period. Ms Humphreys felt relief the court process was over after enduring a gruelling three-week trial in August, however, no sentence would justify the pain she now lives with. "I'm relieved but it still hurts ... it hurts because I can't have my picture perfect family," Ms Humphreys said. "I was with David from the age of 21 ... so all of my early twenties are gone ... and I have to now reshape my entire life because he's just destroyed it. "And what, he gets to sit in prison for 12 years. That's it?" A jury found Matthews guilty of nine out of 10 charges, including intentionally choking a person with recklessness, three counts of sexual intercourse without consent, and four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Matthews maintained throughout the trial and on sentencing that his crimes never happened. He assaulted Ms Humphreys when she was pregnant by pushing her out of a bed and kicking her in the back just before Christmas in 2020. He continued to violently bash her, prompting Ms Humphreys to flee to relatives in Queensland. He followed her there and the pair eventually returned to the Illawarra, where Matthews became increasingly volatile and paranoid. In one 24-hour period in June 2021, Matthews confronted his 38-week pregnant partner twice. The first incident saw him grab Ms Humphreys' throat before he dragged her by the hair. The second involved him waking Ms Humphreys before putting her in a headlock, before she felt a "pop" in her abdomen. She was taken to Wollongong Hospital where her baby was stillborn. Matthews was found guilty of the assault, but not for causing the stillbirth. He was found guilty of raping Ms Humphreys three times on the evening before the stillborn child's funeral. Matthews called Ms Humphreys about 900 times from custody, manipulating her and promising to marry her on the condition she change her evidence. In court, Ms Humphreys stood with her back to Matthews who was seated in the dock as she bravely read out her statement. Despite feeling "terrified", she wanted to speak the words herself. "I wish I could have turned around and looked at him, but the back of my head is all he deserves now," she said. Ms Humphreys thanked the Lake Illawarra detectives and her legal team for their support and urged anyone who is experiencing domestic violence to talk to someone. "Talk to anyone, talk to your friends. Just talk to someone because someone is bound to listen," she said. "Don't protect them (perpetrators) anymore because if you protect them, then they're just going to keep doing it. "I probably couldn't have done anything without (detective) Jo White and (my best friend) Caitlin. Caitlin's literally been my rock throughout all of it." Matthews received a non-parole period of nine years. With time already served, he will become eligible for parole in July 2030.

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