WHEN Billie Dealey met Frazer Manning, he seemed to be her knight in shining armour, a man who she could see a future with.
Having found herself homeless and in a hostel, their relationship felt like a fresh start with Manning showering her with compliments and gifts.
But the kindness soon turned to hell for Billie, 25, who suffered a horrific campaign of control and abuse at the hands of Manning.
Manning, 31, was violent, obsessive, and paranoid, stopping Billie from speaking to friends and controlled her every move during their one-year relationship.
Isolated, and terrified, Billie, from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, tried to leave but Manning threatened to kill their dog if she did.
In an abhorrent act of evil at the height of his reign of terror, Manning raped Billie, whilst she was pregnant with his baby.
In March this year he was sentenced to 18 years.
Call-centre worker Billie, who has bravely waived her anonymity, says: “As Frazer raped me that day It was the worst moment of my life.
“For a long time, I was Frazer’s prisoner. But now, I have taken back that power, and it’s his turn to suffer in prison.”
And Billie urges women not to fall into the same trap she did.
“To any woman meeting someone new, don’t ignore the red flags,” she says.
“If you’re going through abuse already, it’s never okay. In the bedroom, no means no too. Even if they’re your partner.”
In 2020, Billie was especially vulnerable when she met Manning, who was unemployed, at a hostel.
Billie says: “I was going through a horrible time. For the past month, I’d been living at the hostel after becoming homeless.
“My relationship had fallen apart and I was left with nowhere to stay. My dad lived in a one-bed apartment and had no room for me.
“I didn’t want to burden anyone else in my life. I was staying there until I got back on my feet.
“It was filled with many other vulnerable people, including Frazer.”
Manning quickly became attached to Billie, dropping food at her door, and soon he wouldn’t leave her alone.
She says: “He warned the other men not to speak to me. I was very fragile and didn’t like the attention. He kept telling me I was beautiful.
“After rejecting him so many times, I started to feel bad for him.”
Then one evening, Manning opened up to Billie about his own family troubles.
Billie says: “I realised how lovely he was beneath his tough exterior. Things happened that night and we became a couple.”
Weeks later, Billie found her own apartment, excited for a fresh start and a future with Manning.
Billie says: “Frazer practically moved in and also surprised me with my dream dog. A beautiful Rottweiler who I named Tommy. I loved him for that.”
However, living together meant Billie quickly saw an entirely different side to Manning.
“One week in, Frazer had been on his phone day and night. I asked him politely if we could spend time without him on it,” says Billie.
“He went crazy. He started throwing objects at me, and smashing things up.”
I felt helpless. After that, his words got into my head. I told myself it couldn’t have been rape because he was my partner
Billie Dealey
From then on, Manning had angry outbursts constantly which were so severe, even Billie’s dog became so terrified he’d urinate on the floor.
Manning blamed Billie, and made her feel like a prisoner in her own home.
Billie says: “Frazer would go more mental, blaming it on me. I hated him scaring Tommy.
“Soon his ‘love’ turned into control. Frazer stopped me leaving the flat entirely, even to get food.
“He deleted every man on my social media and in my contacts. If I told my father I loved him, Frazer would accuse me of fancying him.
“He stopped me from speaking to my family altogether. I became a recluse, completely trapped.
“Yet I loved him so much. But I lost who I was completely.”
After the couple had been together for six months, Billie claims Manning became obsessed with anal sex, constantly begging every night.
Billie outright refused. But Manning persisted despite her protests and forced himself on her one night.
Billie screamed at him to stop, so he raped her.
“After, I was sobbing, telling him he’d raped me,” she recalls.
“He said it wasn’t rape because I’d agreed in the first place. He told me no-one would ever believe me.
“I felt helpless. After that, his words got into my head. I told myself it couldn’t have been rape because he was my partner.
“If I tried to leave the house in the day, he threatened to kill Tommy.
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
“I worried sick for Tommy’s life and couldn’t escape.”
In October 2021, after being together a year, Billie fell pregnant.
She feared about the environment she’d be bringing their baby into.
She says Manning refused to let her tell anyone about her pregnancyand would even prevent her from going to scans.
As her bump grew, Billie says the monster became jealous of their unborn baby.
“He’d say things like I was going to love the baby more than him,” she explains.
“I had to constantly reassure him I wouldn’t, even though I knew I would.
“I loved my unborn baby more than anything. Yet, my life was a living hell.”
In November 2021, when Billie was two months pregnant, Manning’s father had a heart attack and died.
Billie claims Manning was devastated and kept disappearing from the house for hours before returning intoxicated and violent.
Billie says: “On the day of the funeral. Frazer put on a black suit and left for it.
“As usual, he didn’t let me out the flat. All day I worried about him.
“That evening, he came back from the wake drunk, and passed out. Someone then called his phone so I answered.
“It was a woman, telling me she’d been with him at the wake. I was furious and confronted him.
“He screamed ‘It’s not true’ then he saw red. He punched me in the face, and pulled my hair. Then he gripped his hands around my throat, choking me.
“I was in agony and thought I was going to die. I eventually passed out.”
When Billie woke up, Frazer apologised, before raping her again.
“All I could do was cry for the baby,” she says.
“Frazer kept crying too, saying he was sorry and that he loved me, whilst raping me. It was the worst moment of my life.
“After, he went to sleep, I laid awake, in a daze.
“He’d raped me on the day of his dad’s funeral, whilst I was pregnant.”
As the abuse worsened over the next month, Billie had a break-down one evening, phoning a friend in hysterics.
The friend immediately rang the police, reporting Manning in December 2021.
Billie says: “That night, police showed up at the house, and arrested Frazer. I was relieved, and terrified.
To any domestic or sexual abuse survivors out there, please get the help you need before it’s too late
Billie Dealey
“I refused to make my statement at first. He still had so much control over me, I felt guilty.
“But as police officers supported me, I slowly opened up. They helped me realise the abuse.”
A few weeks later, whilst Manning was in jail awaiting trial, Billie suffered a miscarriage, likely caused by the stress she’d been under.
“After what I’d gone through I wasn’t surprised. I was heartbroken,” she says.
“At the same time, I knew the baby would’ve tied me to Frazer for life.
“So as I waited for the trial, I mourned the loss of my child too.”
In March this year, Frazer Manning, 31, of Spring Lane, Hemel Hempstead, was found guilty of two counts of rape, one count of controlling and coercive behaviour and one count of actual bodily harm at Luton Crown Court.
He was sentenced to 18 years.
“When I finally faced Frazer in court, I was telling my story as he evilly laughed at me,” Billie explains.
“The court put a curtain up, but I could still hear his cruel taunts.
“I finally watched his smug smile disappear. I fought back my tears though, as I knew he thrived off power.”
Billie welcomes the sentence and now, she is moving forward, speaking out to encourage other victims of domestic violence to seek help.
“Now, I’m rebuilding my life. I’m trying to see family and friends again and get back to my old self,” she adds.
“To any domestic or sexual abuse survivors out there, please get the help you need before it’s too late.
“I’m now free and you can be too.”
