Mom, beaten by ex for 7 hours, faces jail if she refuses to let her kids write to him

Mother has been ordered by a judge to send her ex 3 letters a year updating him on the progress of their children.

A mum battered and slashed to within an inch of her life by her jealous ex-fiance has been threatened with jail if she refuses to write to him in prison.

Horrified Natalie Allman, 29, has been ordered by a judge to send letters three times a year to brutal Jason Hughes who tortured her for seven hours in front of their twin sons.

Under parental rights laws, Natalie is being forced to send updates on the five-year-olds along with photos.

The boys were just two when they saw their father batter their mum with his weight-lifting dumbbells, slash her throat with an Army knife and try to ­suffocate her with a pillow.

If Natalie refuses to write, she will be held in contempt of court and risks being locked up herself.

If that isn't some messed up crap! I seriously don't know what to say.

Natalie ended her relationship with Hughes in February 2012 two months before their planned wedding because of his excessive drinking.

The spurned Territorial Army ­part-time soldier, who was still staying at their house in Hereford, went ­berserk one night after discovering she was seeing someone else.

Miraculously she survived the attack despite eight wounds to her head and five broken bones in her face.

In August 2012 Hughes was ­sentenced to nine years at Worcester Crown Court for malicious wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

His lawyer said: “His intention was to cause a hideous scar she could not hide if she had dressed up to look pretty. He was trying to make her look ugly to other men.”

But last January she was shocked to receive a letter from Hughes’s lawyer saying he was applying for a Residence and Contact Order under Section 8 of the Children Act of 1989.

The negotiated terms stated that she would have to send letters three times a year – at Easter, September and December.

The order requires that the letters include “an update regarding the ­children’s general progress, both at nursery/school and socially, to include details of their health and emotional ­development”.

The letters must also include an “update photograph of each child no smaller than 6 inches by 4 inches”.

“But then I read the notes at the end. They said, ‘If you do not comply with this contact order you may be held in contempt of court and be committed to prison or fined’.

If that don't beat all! She's the one who could go to prison! He obviously didn't care about the boys when he tried to kill their mother right in front of them, now all of a sudden he's a loving father????? Just absolute insanity! Has the world gone mad, or have I gotten more sane?

Natalie fears the contact with her attacker – who could be out of prison as early as March next year – will only encourage him to come and find them.

She said: “I have been promised we’ll be ­protected and we’ll have alarms fitted in the house as well as a geographical ban stopping him from coming to our town.

“But how can I trust the authorities when they have made me do this?”

I realize this is England, but let's face it, domestic violence laws aren't much better here in the states. Something MUST be done! NOW, not soon, NOW!

Our legal system is so broken.


A hundred years ago, the friends and family of this woman would have gotten together and taken care of this guy once and for all.

oooh i would write him those 3 letters a year, but the terms and conditions of this website would not allow me to say exactly what i would write to that sub-human piece of sh#t

How dare they even ask her to do such a thing, how dare they even suggest that? she has NO obligation towards him kids or not

Where is the justice?

Why doesn't Natalie have a lawyer that sends this mother sucker to prison for the rest of his life?

Why doesn't Natalie get a gun?

It is messed up but unless "we" act it will not change.

Surely the rights of her and her children trump any of her ex's wishes. This is a ploy to keep tabs on her till he gets out of jail. She needs to fight this,and not give in.

a reply to: IShotMyLastMuse
Maybee alot of those letters should go the pos judge..I cannot believe this would not get a second look?..my god, I hope there is a very public reaction to the judge in this.

She needs to "comply" as horribly as possible. Like smeared ink, bad pictures. Wet unreadable mail.

Although, I wonder if others have had repercussions for doing this previously. I'm certain there's some way to get around this stupidity. My heart goes to this woman and her children.

ETA: The children should write how they feel about having to see what this man did to their mother every single letter! While I feel scars show what you've overcome, idt children understand that.

She should ask restraining order due domestic violence... she needs a lawyer. She doesnt have to deal this kind of S#/t.

I read the article and couldn't find mention of it, but I'd be looking at which state this is happening in and start there. I can tell you right now the state where I live would not do this. Even if it wasn't but one slap all rights would be revoked, and a social worker would be called in for the simple fact that it was done in front of the kids.

originally posted by: Iamthatbish
She needs to "comply" as horribly as possible. Like smeared ink, bad pictures. Wet unreadable mail.

Although, I wonder if others have had repercussions for doing this previously. I'm certain there's some way to get around this stupidity. My heart goes to this woman and her children.

ETA: The children should write how they feel about having to see what this man did to their mother every single letter! While I feel scars show what you've overcome, idt children understand that.

The children were 2 when he did this. They're 5 now. They want her current fiancé to adopt them, but of course, without her ex's approval, this won't happen. I'm sure if the kids were to write this, this creep would whine to the judge about how she's manipulating the kids or some such quackery. I, too, feel this is his way of keeping tabs on her. She's VERY smart to use her dad's address to send and receive the letters from, as he doesn't know her new address. He probably knows her fathers. I'm simply amazed that with all torture he inflicted on her, he only got 9 years, and he's already up for parole next March!!! They should have gone after attempted murder! He slit her dang throat for Pete's sake! I don't know about you, but to me, that's attempted murder! Now he wants to play nice and be Father of the Year? Oh Heck No! As a past victim of domestic violence, this is one of my buttons.

a reply to: vonclod

I know right? did he even pay attention? did that idiot even see her?
those kids are better off thinking their father is dead

a reply to: Anyafaj
judges are so out of touch of reality , and please believe me i think some of them are insane ,

once they are appointed , that's it there are no follow ups , no checking to see if they are still competent .
we have judges falling asleep during the trial.

we open the papers and see totally stupid and mind boggling sentences announced by these idiots every day .

maybe it's a good thing that we don't have gun owning culture here , because if we did , well ?

a reply to: highfromphoenix
This is the UK you are talking about. I doubt she can get a gun there.And they don't do life sentences unless you actually did kill the person as far as I know. If wrong,someone from there please correct me on this. When he gets out,I would hire someone take 'take care of my problem'.

originally posted by: IntroduceALittleIrony
I read the article and couldn't find mention of it, but I'd be looking at which state this is happening in and start there. I can tell you right now the state where I live would not do this. Even if it wasn't but one slap all rights would be revoked, and a social worker would be called in for the simple fact that it was done in front of the kids.

This happened over in England. Some of the laws are different over there. Sadly, even the abusive fathers have rights to write their kids and get cards from them in prison.

Part II Orders with respect to children in family proceedings

Residence, Contact, Prohibited Steps and Specific Issue Orders

Section 8 of the Children Act 1989 outlines the orders which can issued by the court. A ‘contact order’ outlines the requirements, of the person the child resides with, to allow contact with another person. A ‘prohibited steps order’ prevents a parent from exercising their full parental responsibility without consent of the court. A ‘residence order’ puts in place the arrangements for whom a child should live with. A ‘specific issue order’ relates to directions given from the court to address a query that has arisen regarding parental responsibility for a child. Section 8 orders cannot be made in regards to children who are looked after; with the exception of the residence order. When an application is made to the court for a section 8 order the court takes into account: the nature of the proposed application; the connection the person has to the child; the disruption that could be caused to the child and, if the child is being looked after by the local authority: the local authorities plans for the child’s future and the wishes of the child’s parents. A person who gains a residence order for a child will hold parental responsibility for the time the order is in place. Despite this, the Act forbids anyone to change the child’s surname or remove them from the United Kingdom without permission from all those with parental responsibility or with express permission from the court. Under section 63(3) of the [1980 c. 43.] Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 the court has powers to punish those who do not abide by the ruling set out in the residence order.

Source

a reply to: Anyafaj

I don't disagree with you. I think this woman has to keep being smarter and making the best of the situation.

Little ones adore their Mommies and Daddies, I'm certain these little ones don't like seeing the scar. This isn't an age most children can express themselves in writing... I wonder if they have a therapist. This woman shouldn't have to actually write these reports for this creep.

I hope this article helps make a change for her and any other cases. I know its difficult to put children first but, this situation needs to bring the consiquences of this incident on the children into light. I can't even make myself type that its not about her. Its certainly shouldn't be about him!

a reply to: Anyafaj

This is beyond sickening.
What the hell happened to protection programs?

I have to throw up now.
Excuse me a moment.

a reply to: Anyafaj

What a piece of you know what, it's guys like him that I love to take down a peg or twenty. Don't ever assume that the cops, judges or the law is on your side because their put in place to serve their own lazy ass.

originally posted by: dollukka
She should ask restraining order due domestic violence... she needs a lawyer. She doesnt have to deal this kind of S#/t.

She needs to do all of this and take this decision to court as she should be protected from any contact with him whatsoever, that is a given in abuse cases that are proved.

The judges statement says she MAY be held in contempt or face prison charges if she doesn't comply, which is a pretty standard end statement for court orders. In all likelihood, nothing would happen to her if she refused to comply with this, and she could make her case in court. Her next step should be a no contact order. As he is obviously violent, and she's won her domestic violence case, no judge can force her to make contact with her abuser. The courts would end up having to appoint a person to send him such information.

originally posted by: Atsbhct
The judges statement says she MAY be held in contempt or face prison charges if she doesn't comply, which is a pretty standard end statement for court orders. In all likelihood, nothing would happen to her if she refused to comply with this, and she could make her case in court. Her next step should be a no contact order. As he is obviously violent, and she's won her domestic violence case, no judge can force her to make contact with her abuser. The courts would end up having to appoint a person to send him such information.

I'm sure she's complying though because she doesn't want that "may" to become a definite. Depending on the judge and the mood, depends on the "may".