Domestic abuse survivor subjected to ‘mental torture’ fears attacker could be released

A domestic abuse survivor whose partner put her through ‘mental torture’ says he could be released from prison early under a government policy.

Helen Duncanson, 41, was given notice that Michael Boyes – who is serving a three-and-a-half-year sentence – was eligible for the government’s early release scheme.

The scheme has proven controversial and made headlines after it was determined that the men responsible for the death of PC Andrew Harper would not be eligible, prompting scrutiny over other cases.

Boyes, of Pickering, Yorkshire, abused Helen over a period of two years, at one point strangling her until she lost consciousness and wet herself.

He is due for release in September 2027, but Helen fears it could be even sooner.

She said she had begun to rebuild her life after Boyes was convicted, but is distraught at the prospect of him potentially getting out early.

The ambulance practitioner said: ‘I understand the prison system faces serious pressures and that there are legitimate reasons to consider early release.

‘However, victims of domestic abuse should not become an afterthought in that process.

‘If an offender is released early, victims need clear information about when that will happen, what conditions will apply, what restrictions will be placed on the offender, and what support and protection will be available to the victim.

‘They should not be left feeling that the system has prioritised an offender’s early release over their safety and wellbeing.’

The Ministry of Justice said it is working to fix a prison system it inherited ‘on the brink of collapse’ and says it understands ‘the public’s anger that these options are even being considered’.

But Helen, who is training to become a paramedic, believes Boyes remains a danger to society.

She and her attacker were in a relationship from June 2021 until 2023 and said it had seemed normal at the outset.

But she said Boyes began to ‘pick’ on her and soon he became physically violent, including beating and strangling her.

Helen said he would constantly criticise or interrogate ‘my appearance, where I was going, who I was with, and my bank accounts’.

‘He left me in huge financial debt because it was well into the relationship that I realised he was taking drugs,’ she added. I had to give him money, otherwise I’d be attacked.

‘Before my mum died, she’d bought me some beautiful Alice in Wonderland china. It was a present for my first house my mum would never see.

‘He stood one day and he just chucked a pasta bowl at the wall, and my heart just broke. He said: “Give me some money or I’ll chuck it”. I was devastated.

‘Later on that night, he cried and apologised. Once you’re in deep, you can’t get out.’

Helen said she was sometimes too scared to go home. She even slept in her car in the woods to avoid him.

She added: ‘I thought he’d kill me. He used to strangle me with his hands, arm or the necklace my mother had brought me.

‘Once, as I started to lose consciousness, I thought: “Thank god”. All I wanted was peace.’

Helen eventually ended the relationship and reported Boyes to the police after finding out he had a new partner.

At York Crown Court, prosecutor Michael Cahill said Boyes had more than 20 previous convictions, including for domestic violence.

Helen’s former partner pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour three weeks before his trial was due to begin.

He was also charged with four counts of theft, for which he was not sentenced but that will remain on the indictment.

Judge Hickey said Boyes subjected Helen to ‘mental torture’ and jailed Boyes for three and a half years, with a 10-year restraining order.

Helen said Boyes being jailed allowed her to feel safe, adding: ‘A prison sentence is not simply a number on a piece of paper to a victim.

‘It can represent a period of safety. It can provide time to recover, to make arrangements, and to start building a life without constantly worrying about the person who harmed you.’

Helen said she does not think the proposals take into account the ‘feelings of the victims […] for a second’.

‘How can a person even begin to know now what it feels like to be truly terrified of another person and to feel completely vulnerable?’

She added: ‘People who have suffered domestic abuse have already had their sense of safety taken away from them.

‘The justice system should be helping to restore that sense of safety – not leaving victims wondering whether the person who abused them will soon be back in their community.

‘Victims deserve to be heard. They deserve to be informed. Most importantly, they deserve to feel safe.’

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: ‘We have always stated we wanted to go further, and we are fast-tracking a plan to keep more of the most dangerous offenders behind bars.

‘That’s on top of murderers and those serving sentences for rape, serious child sexual abuse and grooming offences who are already blocked from any changes.

‘We share the public’s anger that these options are even being considered, after we inherited a prison system on the brink of collapse.

‘We are fixing this by building 14,000 new prison places, expanding electronic tagging on an unprecedented scale, and investing in probation services at record levels.

‘We are also exploring how we can go further, including faster deportation of foreign criminals and reviewing the unjust IPP sentences.’

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