A district nurse from Wolverhampton has detailed how her former partner checked her underwear for signs of cheating, accused her of infidelity and strangled her during a campaign of abuse. Harriet Southall, 32, said she feared she would never see her daughter again during an attack in which she claims Jake Blount, 35, repeatedly hit her in the face with a mobile phone and told her she "didn't deserve to live".
Sharing her story for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Harriet said she was left gasping for air as Blount tightened his grip around her neck during the incident at their home. She said she thought she was going to die as she begged him to stop. After releasing her, she claims Blount laughed at her bloodied face and told her: "You did that to yourself".
Attack after night out
The mum-of-one, whose daughter, then seven, was staying at her father's, escaped the three-storey detached house wearing only her underwear and a pyjama top before calling 999 from her car. She says the attack was provoked by her enjoying a night out with friends before returning home.
"He was constantly ringing and texting [while I was out]," Harriet told NeedtoKnow. "I told him I couldn't cope with it and begged him to stop. When I got home, I got into bed with him. [I thought] he was asleep but as I was laying on my front, I felt something hit the back of my head, and he grabbed my phone demanding to know who I was texting."
"My phone was locked and when I refused to give him the passcode, he used it to hit me in the face. All I could taste was blood. I touched my lip and felt it was cut open, so I tried to get away. He chased me, still phone in hand and put me into a headlock using his elbow."
Control and violence
Harriet said Blount appeared ambitious, kind and thoughtful when they met through mutual friends in 2020. The pair moved in together seven months later, and she said she began discovering a different side to him, including lying about where he was and spending evenings in casinos.
She said he became suspicious of her and began checking the washing basket to see what underwear she had worn to work. "If it wasn't what he thought was appropriate for work, he would accuse me of cheating," she said. She claims he promised to change and they agreed to attend therapy, but his controlling behaviour and violence worsened over time.
Sentencing and recovery
Blount pleaded guilty to ABH and intentional strangulation and was sentenced to 18 months' custody in January 2025. The attack happened in September 2024, more than four years after the couple first met.
Harriet, who has been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety, said: "Court was very traumatic. I chose to read my victim impact statement in person, so to do that to his face was very hard, but I needed closure." She received counselling through Women's Aid, while her daughter has also undergone therapy. Last year, Harriet started a Pilates studio with her best friends, saying surrounding herself with supportive women "has done wonders for my mental health".
