Natasha Holland has spoken of the moment her ex-partner Mark Hardy dragged her into a barn and came towards her with an axe, saying she thought she was going to die. The 35-year-old was strangled until she passed out during the attack at her farmhouse in Northumberland, following a recent split from Hardy.
After returning from celebrating a friend's birthday, Natasha found Hardy waiting for her. He demanded to see her phone, and after finding a text from a concerned friend, he launched a violent assault. Natasha recalls: "He beat me, I was unconscious to one blow and I remember touching the floor and feeling really spaced out. He was laughing at me, spitting in my face, calling me horrible words."
Emergency call hidden during attack
During the ordeal, Natasha hid her daughter's phone in her clothing and pressed the emergency call button, relaying information to a call handler without Hardy knowing, allowing officers to be deployed. She said: "He told me he was going to kill me and I asked him not to do it in front of where my children were. He dragged me very aggressively into the barn, punched me a few times again, and I just remember seeing him walk towards the back where the wood is and where the axes are."
Describing the moment he picked up the weapon, she added: "That was really scary, I could see the figure of him like a monster coming towards me with this axe which was a horrible moment. The only thing which went through my head right there was I’m going to die, but at least my kids aren’t going to see my dead body."
Police arrive in time
When officers arrived, Natasha said it was just in time to "save" her from her former partner. She needed dental surgery after the attack and was left with severe pain in her neck, remaining on medication and still receiving treatment.
Hardy, 29, of Chantry Estate, Corbridge, pleaded guilty to strangulation, assault and criminal damage in relation to the incident last July. He was sentenced to three years and two months in prison at Newcastle Crown Court in January and handed a 15-year restraining order.
Victim urges others to speak up
Natasha, who reached out to Northumberland Domestic Abuse Services for support in the weeks before the attack and continues to engage with the service, said: "The reason I want to speak is it’s very important that we speak up. When you’ve had a lived experience with such violence, I think speaking up can save lives."
She added: "Don’t let them take that from you, don’t let them dull your spark, don’t let them take away what makes you you. Stand up and be proud, it doesn’t define us. It makes us who we are and we can use that with purpose. I have definitely turned pain into purpose and my passion even more so now is to help women and men speak up."
Anyone who needs support with domestic abuse, or would like to make a report, should visit the dedicated section of the police website. If a crime is ongoing, or someone is at risk, always call 999.
