My violent husband raped me every week then broke into my home and headbutted me when I tried to leave him – now I help others escape abusive relationships
A WOMAN whose violent husband raped her on a weekly basis has revealed how she is now helping other victims of domestic abuse who credit her for saving their lives.
Zoe Parsons, 44, from London, who has waived her right to anonymity, now works as life coach drawing on her own hellish experience to help other women.
In 2017 zoe’s ex-husband Eddy Peart, then 39, of Willesden North London was jailed for eight and a half years after he was found guilty of rape at a trial at the Old Bailey.
Zoe suffered six years of abuse at the hands of Peart before she ended their marriage at which point the thug broke into her home and head-butted her.
And now Zoe has waived her right to anonymity to help other survivors of abuse.
Zoe, a life and relationship coach, says: “Edson thought he’d broken me, but I’m strong again now.
“I’ve become a qualified counsellor and it’s really rewarding to help others who have been through similar trauma.”
She says that many of her clients now credit her for saving their lives.
Speaking to the MailOnline she said: “I love what I do now. I have clients telling me I’ve saved their lives.
“I get so many women telling me, that they would have gone back without help, and I know they would have been killed.”
Zoe fell fell in love with Peart in February 2009, while she was visiting her sister in Jamaica.
She explained: “I’d known Edson for about 10 years, who was a friend of my sister’s, and I’d always had a soft spot for him.
“We went out for dinner one night during my holiday and it was so romantic.”
For the next week, the couple were inseparable and when Zoe arrived back in the UK, the pair talked every day.
Four months later, Zoe flew back to Jamaica to see Peart and during that trip, the couple got engaged.
They married eight months later in January 2010, and in 2010 Peart moved to the UK. But within weeks, he revealed another side to his personality.
Zoe said: “He became obsessive and paranoid, accusing me of cheating on him.
“Then I discovered I was pregnant.
“I hoped it would bring us together but, after Gemma*, now 7, was born, I had to do everything for her.
“And Edson demanded sex constantly. One night I refused and he snarled: ‘I own you.’ Then he raped me.
“Afterwards, I was too shell-shocked to tell anyone what had happened.”
From then, Peart raped Zoe every week for the next three years.
Zoe says: “One night in 2012, Edson went out drinking with his mates while I looked after Gemma.
“At 2am, he burst into the bedroom and demanded sex. I refused and he pinned me down, biting my ear.
“Blood trickled down my neck as I begged him to get off me. Instead, he raped me. Afterwards, I felt numb. And the next day, I went to work as usual.
“When a colleague asked about my ear, I told her the truth. She looked gobsmacked and said: ‘Zoe, that’s rape.’
“The words hit me like a train and it dawned on me how serious Edson’s abuse was. But I felt trapped in the marriage.”
In 2015, Zoe finally plucked up the courage to end the relationship, and kicked Peart out of the house.
She says: “A month later, I told him I wanted a divorce. He begged me to change my mind, promising he’d change. I refused.
“Instead he bombarded me with dozens of texts and phone calls a day.
“A few weeks later, to take my mind off everything, my colleagues took me out to the theatre.
“Afterwards, my friend James offered to walk me home and I invited him in for a drink.
“Moments later, there was a bang at the front door. I knew it was Edson and told James to call the police.
Blood was gushing from my forehead and I saw stars. I honestly thought he was going to kill me
Zoe Parsons
“Through the door, I yelled at Edson to leave, but he said he wanted to punish me for disobeying him.”
But Peart broke into Zoe’s home where he punched her in the head and she fell to the floor before he bit James’ face.
In a bid to help her friend Zoe attempted to intervene but Peart headbutted her and she collapsed to the ground.
She says: “Blood was gushing from my forehead and I saw stars. I honestly thought he was going to kill me. Seconds later, police officers rushed into the flat and arrested Edson.
“I was rushed to Norfolk Park Hospital and given 12 stitches to the two inch-long gash on my head.”
In July 2016, Edson Peart, 39, of Willesden, north London, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
He was jailed for 28 months and given a five-year restraining order.
And in March 2017, he was jailed for 26 weeks for harassment and breach of a restraining order.
In the meantime, police officers gathered evidence of the rape charges. In July 2017, Peart was found guilty of rape at the Old Bailey.
He was jailed for 8 and-a-half years and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.
Zoe says: “I’m so pleased that Edson was jailed.
“And now I’ve turned my negative experience into something positive.
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“It’s so rewarding being able to help others as a counsellor and see them move forward and love themselves after they’ve been abused.”
To find out more about Zoe’s work visit her Instagram account. If you or someone you know is suffering from an abusive partner please visit Womens’ Aid for free help and advice.
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