Claire Milne, a 36-year-old council worker from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, said she is terrified that her abusive ex-husband, Robert Dales, could be released from prison early, calling the prospect a 'kick in the face'.
Milne endured eight years of emotional abuse and controlling behaviour from Dales, also 36, including intimidation and abusive name-calling. She said he had weapons, including swords and air rifles, stashed around the house.
She married Dales in 2019 after a year of dating and said the emotional abuse became a daily part of her life, leaving her 'walking on eggshells'. After giving birth to her son in February 2025, she fled to her parents' house with her nine-week-old son in April 2025 and reported her partner to the police.
Sentencing and Early Release Notification
Dales, a former electrician who had previously been charged with death by dangerous driving in 2010, was arrested in July 2025. At Aylesbury Crown Court on March 9, 2026, he was sentenced to three years in prison for controlling and coercive behaviour and five counts of possession of an offensive weapon. Milne also has a 12-year restraining order against him.
Believing the nightmarish chapter in her life was over, Milne was shocked to receive a letter from the Victim Contact Scheme in June, telling her Dales could be eligible for early release. The scheme, introduced under the Sentencing Act 2026, is due to come into effect in October. The reforms will allow some prisoners to be released after serving a smaller proportion of their sentence, with some potentially becoming eligible for release after serving a third of their sentence.
Victim's Fears and Response
Milne said she feels like she has a 'target on her back' while she remains uncertain whether he will be released early. She said: 'I got that letter to say he could be eligible for early release. I will find out at the end of September. [It also stated] what offences are not eligible based on Andy Burnham's new guidelines.'
She added: 'He would be released in February if this goes ahead, doing only a third of his sentence. Him being in prison gives me some sense of safety, while him being out of prison terrifies me. To say he is going to be released early is a kick in the face. I had to go to court and relive my trauma. I'm terrified because I feel like I will have a target on my back, and I am scared for my son. I don't want him near us. I feel relieved I got the restraining order, but I am upset; I wanted him in prison longer. My eight years were hell, and I have to live with this life-long trauma, and he only has to serve that long? That's not okay.'
During the course of their relationship, Milne said she felt like she was 'walking on eggshells' while living with Dales. She said: 'Things were fine at first, but following that, there was a lot of emotional abuse. He was very good at making me feel like everything was my fault. He came back and saw nothing had been done in the house, and he screamed in my face. I was really taken aback. I was incredibly scared; the manipulation had gone on for so long. He would throw things. I would get [abusive] messages. He had weapons around the house. The emotional abuse would be every day. I was treading on eggshells, and I had conditioned myself to talk a certain way.'
Criticism of Sentencing Reforms
Milne described the scheme as a 'kick in the teeth' for abuse survivors. She said: 'The Government thinks updating the legislation will help and that these abusers are going to change. But their issue is with women, so they will behave in prison. It's a kick [in the teeth] for all survivors. That's not how it should be. If they do it again, that doesn't shock me. The sentences they get given are not long enough; these people believe they have done nothing wrong.'
Crediting her son with giving her the strength to leave the troubled relationship, Milne said she feared she would never have been able to escape otherwise. She said: 'I didn't know what to do, I felt helpless. I didn't think I'd ever be able to leave. My little boy saved my life because I would have never got out of that relationship if it wasn't for him. It was bigger than me. I didn't want him growing up in that environment or getting hurt. When I gave birth, it [the abuse] escalated astronomically. I knew I needed to get out, but I was so scared. I tried to leave so many times, and he would say, "I will ruin you, I'm going to kill myself." Harsher sentences need to be put in place for people like him. He is a controlling, nasty person, and the emotional abuse was awful. He took away so many precious moments I should have had being a new mum, and I'm never going to get them back.'
The Ministry of Justice has been contacted for comment. The CPS confirmed that Dales was sentenced to three years in prison for controlling and coercive behaviour and five counts of possession of an offensive weapon at Aylesbury Crown Court on March 9, 2026.
