10 November 2023 , 11:45
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A woman has bravely spoken out after she was beaten by her boyfriend who busted her lip, broke her arm and sent a video of them having sex to her mum.
Jessica Smith, 31, from Hull, East Yorkshire, said Dillan Billany, 27, "ruined" her life after he launched a campaign of abuse just three months into their relationship. She said she couldn't face her mum, Tracey, 49, for weeks after the thug sent her the recording which she didn't know existed.
She is now sharing the warning signs of domestic abuse after he was jailed in August this year after he pleaded guilty to disclosure of a private sexual film with intent to cause distress, assault by beating, inflicting grievous bodily harm and theft. The pair met in February last year and Jessica said he was initially "charming". But things suddenly took a turn for the worse after an argument one night.
Dillan Billany was jailed for three years (HotSpot Media)
Jessica believed he would change (HotSpot Media)She recalled how he viciously poured water on her face before dragging and kicking her on the floor. Jessica met Billany in February 2022. At first, he was charming, but three months later, Billany changed. One night, after the pair argued, Billany poured water over Jessica, before dragging her to the floor and kicking her. “I was in agony. The next morning when I confronted him, he said he couldn’t remember what had happened. I just hoped it was a one-off," she said. But in time, Billany ordered Jessica to delete her social media and began isolating her from her family and friends.
One day, Billany turned up at Jessica’s house drunk and insisted he check her phone. When she refused, he pinned her to the bed, pushed his thumbs into her eyes and pressed his fingers hard into her neck. She recalled: “I thought I was going to die. Afterwards, Dillan said it was my fault.” Whenever Jessica’s friends questioned her bruises, she claimed she’d fallen on a night out. Then, in September 2022, during an argument, Billany punched Jessica in the face, busting her lip open. Jessica waited for him to fall asleep, before leaving and calling a taxi home. She added: “The next day, he apologised. I felt like I couldn’t live without him, so decided to give him another chance.”
Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him
Jessica endured horrifying injuries after the attacks (HotSpot Media)
Jessica had to undergo a gruelling surgery (HotSpot Media)But Billany’s abuse continued, and in time, Jessica’s mum noticed something was wrong. “I told her everything. She was so shocked and urged me to report him to the police," said Jessica. "A couple of days later, I was on the phone to her when she suddenly screamed. She told me Dillan had sent her a video of us having sex. I had no idea he’d filmed me. I was mortified.” Afterwards, Billany called Jessica to apologise, but she ended things. For weeks, too embarrassed, she couldn’t face her mum. In February this year, Jessica bumped into Billany. She says: “He said he didn’t want to end on bad terms and asked if I wanted to go for a drink. I agreed, only to convince him to delete the video.”
The pair went to a bar, where Billany showed Jessica the footage. She begged him to delete it, but he refused. Jessica left and Billany followed her, before kicking her in the leg and spitting in her face. That night, Jessica reported him to the police and gave a statement. But in March, Jessica received a message from Billany, telling her he wanted to sort things out. She says: “I was desperate to delete the video, so I agreed. That day, we met in a pub, where I knew there would be lots of people. But Dillan started accusing me of being with other men."
The thug broke her arm after she asked him to delete the video (HotSpot Media)He stormed out of the pub and Jessica left for home. Moments later, he ran towards her, before grabbing her right arm and twisting it up her back. He then pushed her onto the floor and yanked her arm back. Jessica continued: “I’d never felt pain so intense. I felt like I was going to pass out. Dillan took my phone and house keys from my bag and ran off.” Emergency services arrived and rushed Jessica to Hull Royal Infirmary. There, she had an X-ray, which showed her arm was broken. Next morning, Jessica underwent a three-hour operation where surgeons inserted 12 bolts, three wires and 37 staples into her arm.
She spent five days recovering in hospital. Jessica said: “I was terrified of going home, so when I was discharged, I moved in with a friend. It was my dominant arm that was broken, so I couldn’t do anything for myself like shower and get dressed.”Meanwhile, Billany was arrested and pleaded guilty to the offences. In August, he was sentenced to three years in prison at Hull Crown Court. The 31-year-old said: “It’s no amount of time compared to the pain he inflicted upon me. Now, I’m left with a nasty scar and can’t do the things I used to love, like swimming. Dillan ruined my life. I always thought he’d change, but he never did. I want to encourage other survivors to find the courage to leave as soon as they become controlling." She added: “But I’m a survivor and I want him to know that he doesn’t scare me anymore.”
*For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk.