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The supermarket psycho

I met Toney while I was pushing my trolley - but pretty soon, he'd be off his


Published by: Vickie Scullard and Jean Jollands
Published on: 21 February 2013

Strolling through the frozen food aisle, I scooped up a bag of peas and then headed for the fish fingers.
I was doing the weekly shop at my local Asda. But then I spotted a familiar face.
‘Toney,' I grinned at the big bloke in front of me.
‘Helen, how are you?' he chuckled, giving me a bear hug.
I'd known Toney, 39, since I was 11 and he was eight. We'd played on our bikes together as kids and, over the years, we'd been in and out of each other's lives.
I'd always carried a bit of a torch for him but we'd married other people. Now we were both divorced and my brood, Kieran, 25, Nathan, 24 and Amy, 21, were all grown up.
I hadn't seen Toney for at least four years, and I noticed his normally sparkling green eyes looked sad and his clothes were slightly dishevelled.
‘So, how's life?' I asked.
‘Er, not so good,' he admitted, glancing down. ‘I don't have a job and I'm about to lose my flat.'
When he was a kid, he'd always seemed vulnerable and I'd looked out for him. And even though at 6ft he towered over my 4ft 11in frame, I still felt protective over him.
‘You're always welcome on my sofa,' I offered. ‘My empty nest gets lonely so I'd be glad of the company.'
‘Are you sure?' he said, his eyes lighting up. ‘Thank you!'
‘It's amazing what you can pick up in the supermarket these days,' I teased.
When I got home from Asda, Toney was already on the doorstep with his bags.
‘You didn't waste any time,' I laughed.
He settled in and a few days later, I came back from walking my dogs to find Toney had covered the artificial tree in the living room with cute little plastic butterflies.
‘Just a little thank you,' he grinned at me.
One afternoon, there was a tap on my bedroom door.
‘I wrote this for you,' Toney mumbled, handing me a piece of paper. ‘It's a poem.'
As I read it, my cheeks flushed...
I met this lass many moons ago. She had a certain kinda glow,
I moved to Radcliffe on my own. Then at Asda, my angel was shown. Her name is Helen, sent from above. A beautiful person, the one I love...
‘It's beautiful,' I grinned.
More romantic poems followed and then he progressed on to sexy foot massages. No bloke had ever treated me like this and soon we were an item.
Blissful months slipped by and I couldn't believe my luck at finding such a sensitive, caring man.
Then one night, 10 months after we got together, Toney went out drinking and didn't return for two days.
‘I was worried sick,' I raged when he finally came home.
‘Shut it!' he spat.
Woah, that was a bit out of character, I thought to myself.
I hoped it was a one-off, but over the next few weeks, my doting, gentle giant disappeared. In his place was a sulky, drunken brute.
He ordered me around and flung things at me if I didn't obey him. I walked around on eggshells, desperate not to anger him further.
Six months later, my daughter Amy moved back in and I was terrified she'd soon discover the shambles of my relationship. I didn't have to wait long...
Just three days later, my sister Linda popped round as I was coming down with a cold.
‘I bought you this,' she smiled, handing me a bottle of whisky to make a hot toddy. But as we sat on the couch, Toney's eyes suddenly flashed with anger.
‘Give me that,' he snarled, snatching the bottle. Twenty minutes later, he'd polished the whole thing off and started slurring and swearing.
‘Toney, why don't you go and sleep it off?' I suggested, quietly.
Just then, Amy came down the stairs.
‘Did you hear that?' he ranted to her. ‘Would you be told what to do in your own home?'
Amy looked horrified. ‘It's not just your home, it's Mum's home, too,' she began.
Suddenly he lunged at her, grabbing her arms.
Panicking, I threw myself in between them. Then I saw Toney lift his hand.
Thwack! The sting of the slap made my face burn. I heard a sickening crack and my nose seemed to move from one side to the other.
As I sunk to the floor, Toney headbutted me. I lay there helpless as he kicked and punched me and pulled out clumps of my hair.
My once loving man had now turned into a maniac.
‘Leave her alone,' Linda yelled at him.
He responded by punching her and slamming her against the living room door, knocking her out cold.
‘Linda!' I screamed, terrified.
With me and Linda down, I knew that Amy would be next. Toney headbutted her and dragged her out to the garden like a rag doll.
He continued headbutting me for what felt like hours. Amy suddenly appeared again
‘Run, get help,' I ordered.
I pushed Toney really hard and as he stumbled, I managed to slip past him. Me and Amy made a run for it.
My neighbours must have heard the commotion because one of them was standing outside, motioning us to come in. We dashed into the house and she slammed the door behind us. But as soon as we were inside, crack...
With one punch, Tony had smashed the front door panel in. As he put his arm through to open the latch, I fled to the garden with Amy, but he was right behind us.
In the garden, Amy picked up a spade and tried to bat him off. He just grabbed it off her and hit her with it. It was like being up against the Incredible Hulk.
As she slumped to the ground, he threw his 19st frame on top of me, punching the life out of me.
Just then, I heard the piercing wail of police sirens and suddenly a policewoman was running towards me, pepper spray at the ready. Thank god, I thought.
But as she sprayed Toney, he stood up and punched her, knocking her unconscious too. Could no one stop this madman?!
Running for my life, I saw an open gate a few doors down and cowered behind it. In a flash, Toney was there. Eyes bulging, he stared down at me. But as I braced myself for another beating, he suddenly turned and walked away.
A neighbour helped me into the house as swarms of police in riot gear holding taser guns filled the street. All for my Toney? It didn't seem real.
As paramedics led me to the back of an ambulance, I caught sight of my reflection. My face was swollen and misshapen and all I could see was a gaping hole of nostrils where my nose had once been.
At hospital, I was rushed into surgery. When I came round, a plastic mask was holding my face together.
‘You suffered a fractured eye socket and cheek bone,' a doctor explained. ‘Your nose came clean away from the bone.'
Soon, Amy was by my bedside. She looked as battered and bruised as me.
‘Oh Mum,' she sobbed. ‘How could he do this?'
Linda was bruised and beaten too. Even though our injuries began to heal, I was so terrified that Amy had to sleep with me at night. I also had flashbacks.
Last October, Toney Warburton, 40, pleaded guilty to affray, grievous bodily harm, actual bodily harm and two counts of common assault at Bolton Crown Court.
Jailing him for nine years, Judge Peter Davies said: ‘But for the fact that you didn't kill anyone that day, this has to be one of the worst domestic violence cases I have ever seen.'
Even now, eight months after the attack, I still come across bloodstains in the house. Sometimes I stare dumbfounded at the love poems that Toney wrote to me. I can't believe they're from the same man. The loving bloke I picked up at Asda turned into a complete psycho. I could never have guessed how he'd change so dramatically.
I've sworn that I'll never let a man do this to me again.
Helen Bonner, 43, Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester