THIS is the moment a teacher who was paralysed by her abusive ex nods “yes” when asked if he hurt her in brave testimony from her hospital bed.
Robert Easom turned into the “Incredible Hulk” when Trudi Burgess, 56, tried to end their relationship.
Trudi was left a tetraplegic with paralysis from the chest downCredit: Facebook
She bravely gave testimony from her hospital bed
The pair met after her husband passed away and Easom was working as a landscape gardener for her sisterCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
Easom has jailed for assault
She was left tetraplegic with paralysis from the chest down after a brutal attack at Easom’s home in February last year.
Trudi also needed an 11-hour operation, spent more than three months in an ICU ward and now requires 24-hour care.
The monster, 56, has now been jailed for 20 years after he was found guilty of Section 18 Assault following a trial.
He had previously admitted to engaging in coercive and controlling behaviour between July 2017 and February 2025, as well as two offences of actual bodily harm.
Footage released by police shows officers asking Trudi if Easom hurt her as she lies strapped to wires in a hospital bed.
The mum nods yes when asked if he “purposefully” hurt her after the thug told officers she got hurt when they were play-fighting.
She then shakes her head “no” when the officer asks if Easom hit her but admits that he pushed her and has hurt her before.
Trudi is also asked if she is “scared” of her abusive ex, to which she nods yes as the officer replies: “A little bit”.
The heard the pair met after Trudi’s husband died and Easom was working as a landscape gardener for her sister.
She said at first he was the “perfect partner” but the mum became trapped in a vicious cycle of abuse.
Brave Trudi documented the horror Easom inflicted on her in chilling voice notes.
She told how he would force her to clean up spilled food, pushed her against furniture, shouted at her, drove dangerously to frighten her and headbutted her.
Easom also dragged her around a bathroom during a trip to York and quoted a line from the film Rambo, saying: “Don’t push or I’ll give you a war.”
In another horrific attack, Easom violently grabbed her wine, slammed a fridge door and shouted before dragging her upstairs by the head – banging her against each step.
Trudi told how she became trapped by Easom, who would belittle her – saying she was “useless” and couldn’t cope without him.
This caused her self-esteem to disappear and she remained with the thug until the violent assault on February 17 last year that left her paralysed.
Recalling the attack, Trudi told the court she “had the feeling of all feeling going out of my body” and was “was going numb with each crack”.
She said: “I decided to be completely straight with him and end the relationship once and for all. I had avoided having that conversation because it could end up with him being scary and getting aggressive.
“He started to get angry and was saying ‘why the f*** do you always do this, you are always causing an argument?’
“He started to accuse me of making things complicated and started to get into one of his rages and started to pace around.”
Trudi told the court she tried to appease him by saying she would stay, but he launched his assault as she begged “don’t hurt me”.
Easom then severed her spinal cord as Trudi pleaded: “You are killing me”.
'He took everything from me' - brave Trudi speaks out
In a statement read to the court, Trudi said: “My sense of safety for me and my family has been taken from me and the thought of him walking freely is a terrifying prospect.
“I grieve every day for the life I’ve lost – a life that was stolen from me by someone who I trusted. I feel trapped and powerless. Sometimes I feel like I’m just surviving….not living.
“Everything that once gave me joy now feels out of reach. My future has been rewritten and not by choice.”
She said Easom’s crime had “taken away everything” she had built, planned for and enjoyed.
The mum added: “It has robbed me of my health, my independence, my ability to care for my family, my career, my freedom and my peace of mind. Each day is a physical, emotional and mental battle.
“This injury is permanent. I will never get back the life I had. I now live with constant pain, with limitations and heartbreak. My children and granddaughter have lost the mother and grandmother they once had.”
She said that she has suffered from depression, anxiety and symptoms of PTSD, had lost the ability to sing and she now relies on financial support and disability benefits.
Trudi also said Eason has “a true Jekyll and Hyde personality” where he could be “loving and attentive” and then switch in a moment into a “truly terrifying monster”.
She added: “I am living proof of the devastating effects of his uncontrolled bursts of anger.”
She told how she felt like “my head was being folded into my body” during the horror.
The teacher added: “I heard a crack and had the feeling of all feeling going out of my body. I was going numb with each crack.. More parts of my body went numb.
“I thought ‘I am dying, he is not stopping’. He was like a monster.”
In a 999 call, Easom first claimed the teacher hurt herself by falling out of bed and “landed in a bad way” on her neck.
Easom then changed his story in a second call with the emergency services – claiming they were “mollycoddling” upstairs then “this tragedy happened”.
He later made Trudi tell paramedics they had been playfighting to avoid going to , the court heard.
Domestic abuse - how to get help
DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone - including men - and does not always involve physical violence.
Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship:
- Emotional abuse – Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse – gaslighting – being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to
- Threats and intimidation – Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you
- Physical abuse – This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten.
- Sexual abuse – Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent.
If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers:
- The Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247 for free at any time, day or night
- Men who are being abused can call Respect Men’s Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or ManKind on 0182 3334 244
- Those who identify as LGBT+ can ring Galop on 0800 999 5428
- If you are in immediate danger or fear for your life, always ring 999
Remember, you are not alone.
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime.
Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.
Alison Wolstenholme of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “In a fit of rage, Robert Easom pushed his partner’s head down with such force that he broke her neck – changing her life forever.
“After years of coercive control, where he assaulted her, belittled her, tormented her and deliberately frightened her, he carried out a brutal assault when she tried to end the relationship.
“He attempted to evade responsibility for his actions, telling various lies about how his partner became injured. Later, he accepted causing the injuries which left the woman paralysed from the chest down but claimed that he did not intend to cause serious harm. The evidence did not allow us to consider accepting that.
“The CPS was determined to see Easom face the full consequences of his actions, and we pushed for the case to go to trial. The jury saw through his lies and found him guilty of intentionally inflicting grievous bodily harm.
“The incredible strength shown by the victim during this prosecution cannot be overstated. Her support has allowed us to bring the strongest possible case against a dangerous abuser and ensure he faces the full force of the law.”
You can donate to Trudi Burgess and her family here .
Trudi was paralysed by her ex in a horrific attackCredit: Lancashire Police
Easom spun a web of lies after his arrest
Trudi was dragged upstairs by her hair and attacked in a hotelCredit: Facebook
She was left paralysed from the chest downCredit: Lancashire Police
Trudi was also strangled by EasomCredit: Facebook
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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