Bristol domestic abuse victim urges others to speak out as ex husband jailed
Anna Butt was brutally attacked with a hammer and a screwdriver
Last updated 11th May 2021
A woman who was brutally attacked by her ex husband in Bristol has urged other sufferers of domestic abuse to get help.
Alec Butt was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Monday (10/05) after being found guilty of assault causing grievous bodily harm.
The 71-year-old hid behind bins near Anna Butt’s workplace in Whiteladies Road on Saturday 28 December 2019 before seriously assaulting her.
While covering his face to hide his identity, he pushed her up against a wall and used a hammer and a screwdriver to inflict significant injuries to her head, arms and hands.
A passer-by called the police at which point Butt fled the scene.
He was arrested about 90 minutes later near Cribbs Causeway.
Anna was taken to hospital but her physical injuries did recover. In a personal statement read out in court she said she feared the man she had been married to for 18 years would kill her.
“I was absolutely terrified," she said.
"Throughout the attack, despite my constant attempts to fight back and disarm my attacker, I was thinking that I was going to die in that car park.
“I distinctly remember during the incident that I kept seeing my children’s faces before my eyes and also my parents’.
“When I realised that it was Alec, when I pulled his hood down, it confirmed what I already knew; I had been married to Alec for 18 years and I had real fears that he would do something like this.”
While her physical injuries have healed, the mental scars have left Anna sometimes too scared to leave the house.
Butt, of Painswick, continued to deny being responsible for the attack despite the overwhelming evidence collected by police. He was found guilty by jurors in March following a trial.
Judge James Patrick jailed Butt for seven years and nine months, dismissing Butt’s claim he acted in self-defence.
He added that the jury had seen through Butt’s lies and the remorse shown since conviction rang ‘hollow’ as a result.
Following the sentencing, Anna said: “I would like to thank the help and support of the police, in particular PC Nina Foster, DC Katrina Collier, and PC Katie Douglass throughout the investigation and the trial. Their unwavering support has been key in seeing me through this case.
“Additionally I would like to thank the help and everlasting support of my friends and family whose faith and support in me and my children has been so appreciated – those who stayed true to me when I was in huge emotional turmoil was a tower of strength.
“I would encourage anyone suffering domestic abuse to reach out to the police for help. They will support you and you are not alone.”
You can listen to the 999 call made during the attack below, but be aware you may find the content distressing: