The Love Trials: Ashley

Chapter Seventeen

The Police took my statement, Jackson's statement and a few others. Cathy was congratulated for her work and was also lectured for the illegal record breaking into. Lauren was too but not as badly as Cathy.

The Police station was under the eyes of higher authority for a while after our statements had been filed. This was a bad time for Jackson and the other officers because it turned out that someone within their walls had got rid of any incriminating evidence against Bradley, including my first statement to Jackson. It was found out that it was the chief of police. So after two weeks, the chief of police had been fired and moved out of town to get a job elsewhere. Officer Johnson was promoted and Jackson was given a promotion to Detective. A few others got promoted too.

Cathy was told that if she wanted a job at the Police station, she would get the opportunity if she went to a Police college first. She accepted and filed an application to start the following September.

I had moved in with Jackson. He lived with his sister so Lauren and I shared a bedroom for a while, which was unexpectedly nice. Almost like she was MY sister.

During Bradley's investigation by the Police, I took extended leave from work and worked quite closely with a victim support worker, Holly. She was nice, supportive and helpful. She took me out to places so we could talk in a relaxed atmosphere. It helped lots to talk to someone who listened while eating a McDonalds, a treat that I hadn't had in a while. She also took me shopping and I bought clothes that I liked instead of clothes that someone else improved. Holly complimented each outfit choice and it made me feel better.

She also supported me with Police visits and a visit to a counsellor. The Police made sure that my statement was full and thorough. We then got ready to proceed to trials and that wasn't nice. It was scary, unsettling and I didn't like the thought of standing by myself to talk about my statement and what had happened. But my friends and Holly helped a lot.

Holly took me to a counsellor to ensure I was alright, emotionally. We talked about different things and the counsellor approved that I was fine, just quite anxious now and panicky a lot. A couple of trips to the doctors also told me that I had developed anaemia and anxiety disorders due to my time being hurt by Bradley. I was thinner than I had been before Bradley, losing two stone. The doctor put me on a new diet, which involved a bit more of a fatty treat (which I liked A LOT) and gave me tablets for this and that. I had been lucky... That was for sure. Other people of abuse were not always this lucky.

Bradley's trial took an extremely long time. Months in fact but I had my friends and Holly and that made me feel supported and after some time, I got better. For a long while, I had been panicked and having bad dreams all of the time. Jackson slept by my side and that helped too.

Eventually, in November, Bradley was charged. It had not just been my statement involved but the evidence I had collected with Cathy included the admitting of murder on behalf of Louise Elizabeth Smith and the assault of Alexia Shannon Glass. Alexia had eventually come forward and admitted her story, ready to testify. I wasn't allowed contact with her but Cathy told me she was extremely nice.

Therefore, Bradley was charged with two counts of rape, ten counts of Gross Bodily Harm, two counts of Actual Bodily Harm, four counts of Common Assault and one count of voluntary manslaughter.

For all of this, the jury and judge decided that Bradley was guilty and was given sixty years in prison for all of it. This was with the chance of parole in thirty years and no chance of early departure before thirty years. No matter how good he was, he would be stuck in jail for a long time.

Once Bradley was put behind bars, it was time to recover and forget. Moving on.

By January, I was almost better. The nightmares had ceased and I was having less panic attacks. With Holly's help, I had quit my job and started at a college, training to become a victim support worker, someone who helps people who have been in similar positions to what I had gone through.

By February, it was weird how everything had changed. Caitlin and Lauren had become the best of buddies and had moved in together. Cathy had also part time lived with her dad and part time lived with Caitlin and Lauren due to Kieran also being there, the two were at last dating. Cathy had changed her number and she was being good for the first time ever. Stopped talking to the guys she used to and stopped going out as much. She was doing well in her course, well ahead of others. Amelia and Rob had got engaged over Christmas and they were planned to marry in April. And Jackson and I... Well... We were taking it slowly. Jackson wanted to make sure I was fully recovered from Bradley so we kissed and hugged but my five date rule was overruled by him wanting to wait. So we waited a long time but I knew it deep down, up high and everywhere that Jackson was my one. The one I truly loved, the one I would wait forever for.

Life can be cruel, Bradley had shown me that because in life, PEOPLE are cruel. But not everyone. No matter how alone you feel, there will always be someone who holds a light your way to help you see again. A parent, a sibling, a colleague, a friend, a soulmate. Always someone no matter how bad it gets.