‘I spent my life waiting for the next beating’: Domestic abuser jailed after threats to kill

A domestic abuser who threatened to kill the mother of three of his children and burn her family’s house down has been jailed.

But the father of Martin Creed’s victim says “justice has not been served”, after he admitted abusing his partner of eight years in a caravan in Shurland Holiday Park on Sheppey.

Martin Creed, of Musgrave Road, Sittingbourne, was jailed after abusing his partner in a caravan on Sheppey. Picture: Kent Police

The 33-year-old, of Musgrave Road, Sittingbourne, was sentenced for his “horrendous” crimes at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday (March 27).

The court heard how he isolated his victim from her family for more than three years, leaving her mother to fear she would never see her again.

Then, in a chance encounter on May 9, the victim saw her brother and dad in Eastchurch. They had been searching for her since contact had ceased.

Her father told KentOnline that his daughter and her children were “dirty, starving and riddled with lice”, so he gave her £50 to buy them some food and asked her to meet her mother on May 12.

She agreed to meet her mum, but when she told Creed on May 11, he unleashed a “torrent of abuse” on her, prosecutor Alexa Le-Moine said during the hearing.

Creed told her: “Over my dead body are you meeting your mum”. He also threatened to kill her and burn both the caravan and her family’s home down, the court heard.

Martin Creed, of Musgrave Road, Sittingbourne, threatened to kill his partner when she told him she would be meeting her mother.

His attack included dragging her by the hair across the living room, using such force that some of her hair was torn out, leaving bald patches on her scalp.

Then he slapped her and assaulted her in the garden. This beating all took place while the three children, now aged six, four and one, were in the caravan.

Ms Le-Moine said: “The children were screaming during the incident. She thought she would die, and she feared for her children’s lives.”

When she was finally able to get away, she ran almost three miles from the site to her brother’s house in Minster with no shoes on, arriving at around 6am on May 12.

The police were called, and Creed was arrested.

But within 72 hours of being released on police bail, he had logged into the victim’s social media accounts and unblocked himself on them before sending messages to her. Creed also visited the victim’s address.

Martin Creed beat up his partner at Shurland Dale Holiday Park off Warden Road in Eastchurch. Picture: Grant Falvey

This broke the conditions of his bail agreement, and he was arrested and remanded in custody.

He was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, threatening to kill with children present and stalking involving serious alarm or distress.

Creed, who had three previous convictions relating to driving offences, admitted the charges on the day of his trial, which was supposed to start on December 15.

He had also been charged with intentional strangulation and engaging in controlling or coercive behaviour, but those were laid on file.

The court heard how Creed had also not paid for any essentials such as electricity, gas or food with his money, but instead it went on “alcohol, cocaine and gambling”.

At the sentencing hearing, which was attended by the victim and her family, Ms Le-Moine read out the victim’s impact statement.

It read: “You will never understand the damage and pain you have done to my children and me.

Martin Creed’s victim ran for three miles after being assaulted in his caravan in Shurland Dale Holiday Park

“You took my life away. You took everything else away from me. You controlled every aspect of our lives and did not treat us as a family.

“I spent my life waiting for the next beating. It became part of my routine.

“It will take a lifetime for me to recover from the damage you have caused to both me and my children.

“I struggle to deal with my own thoughts.

“I will never forgive you for the years you took away from us.

“Before you, I had confidence, I was outgoing, and I looked after myself. I had a job, and you stopped that.

“Without you, I will build a good life for my children. Together we are a real family, and we have found happiness.”

Martin Creed was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court. Picture: Stock image

Judge Robert Lazarus sentenced Creed to two years and two months in prison, which he will served 40% of before being released.

Due to his time spent in prison already, he will be released in 26 days.

Creed is subject to a restraining order which bans him from contacting the victim and her family directly or indirectly for an indefinite period.

He will only be able to be in contact with his children once they have turned 18.

Judge Lazarus said: “This was a truly dreadful and cruel assault when your children were in the caravan.

“There is an awful photograph [that shows] bruising on the shoulders going onto her back and her neck.

“‘How dare you tell your partner not to see her mother. [It shows] a fundamental disrespect for women.”

“I want people to know what he did and that he is an animal…

Speaking to KentOnline following the sentencing, the victim’s father said he did not feel “justice was served”.

He said: “It was not tough enough. You can put up a post on Facebook, and you get four years in jail. How does that compare to my daughter being beaten black and blue?

“He has broken her and the children.

“He has done 10 months [in prison], it’s going to take my daughter 10 years to recover. I think the judge wanted to give him more.

“The system is geared up for the prisoner. They get everything given to them in prison, but the victim gets left nothing.

Domestic abuser Martin Creed has been jailed after beating up his partner at his caravan on Sheppey. Picture: Facebook

“We were told she would be put on a waiting list for therapy, which could take two years. I’ll pay for her and her children to have private sessions.

“My daughter needs counselling. The children have flourished since they have been with us but it will take them all a long, long time to get over this.

“The one minor victory was that he has been banned from contacting us all indefinitely.”

He added: “It has been horrendous and has turned our lives upside down.

“It was never a normal relationship. He is a master manipulator, and he tore her away from us.

“I want people to know what he did and that he is an animal, so that he cannot do it to someone else’s daughter.”