A mother-of-two has revealed how a seemingly charming man she met on a dating app transformed into a violent "monster" who tried to drown her in a bathtub during a campaign of horrific abuse.
From 'Gentle Giant' to Controlling Abuser
Katie Yates, 42, had been single for five years when she joined Plenty of Fish in February 2018. She soon received a message from Jason Smith, then 29, a railway maintenance worker from Pontypridd, South Wales. He presented himself as a loving father and a "gentle giant".
Their first meeting at a local Wetherspoons pub was positive, with Katie describing Smith as incredibly charming with "the brightest blue eyes". He quickly integrated into her life, even meeting her children. However, just weeks into the relationship, Smith manipulated his way into her home, claiming a fallout with his landlord.
Once living in her two-bedroom house, Smith revealed he was unemployed. His behaviour then deteriorated rapidly. He became obsessively jealous, making baseless accusations that Katie "fancied everyone in sight". The abuse turned physical when he strangled her until she lost consciousness after accusing her of looking at a stranger.
A Campaign of Violence and Terror
The assaults escalated. In one incident, after a trip to a chip shop, Smith tipped a full pot of gravy over Katie's head and punched her, claiming she had looked at the server. He isolated her from her family, demanding constant check-ins and once calling her 70 times in a single day.
Katie, struggling financially as a single parent and student, also discovered Smith had stolen money from her child's birthday cards. The relentless abuse took a severe toll on her health, causing significant weight loss and forcing her to abandon a hairdressing course.
The situation reached a new nadir during a trip to a West Wales holiday park on December 18, 2018. After a drunken rage, Smith was removed by security. Upon returning home, he pinned Katie down and raped her, telling her she "deserved it".
The Near-Fatal Bath Attack and Justice
Just four days later, on December 22, the abuse reached a terrifying climax. While Katie was in the bath, Smith grabbed her head and forced it underwater, holding it there in an attempt to drown her. He released her only to dunk her under again. The attack was triggered by a delusional accusation that she had eyed up staff in Sainsbury's.
The following day, he beat her so severely she feared for her life. Her parents were horrified when they saw her, with her father saying she looked "like something out of a Halloween movie". This finally prompted Katie to contact the police.
Smith was arrested and, after a trial at Newport Crown Court in June 2019, was found guilty of rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and assault by beating. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison and given a ten-year restraining order.
Reflecting on the sentence, Katie stated she is glad he is jailed but lives with terrible flashbacks. Smith is eligible for parole in 2027, a prospect that fills Katie with fear. "I thought I'd struck lucky when I met Jason," she said, "but I'd invited a monster into my life."
