Michele Turnbull was brutally attacked by her partner whilst she slept, leaving her unable to walk for days afterwards — but she has since had the last laugh as her ex was jailed
A single mum was left so traumatised after being raped, she resorted to washing herself in Dettol to feel clean again. However, she was bravely able to share her story and have her vile ex partner arrested and charged.
Michele Turnbull, 41, was subjected to a torrent of sexual abuse during the incident on November 18, 2023. Her partner, David Wilson, 49, acted as if nothing happened the following day, making himself a cup of tea whilst she was curled up in a ball processing what happened to her.
Now, David has been jailed after committing the horrific crimes against his now ex-partner, and will now spend ten years behind bars for his actions. Michele has revealed she is happy with the result, but admitted the scars of what happened to her still remain.
Waiving her right to anonymity, Michele admitted that she was left in a state of shock after she was twice raped by the tyre fitter that fateful night. Describing the incidents, she said she felt “like an animal” as he sexually assaulted her, despite her pleading not to.
Michele first met David in 2023, after being introduced by a mutual friend, but immediately there was little attraction from her side. Eventually, she agreed to a date and the pair soon hit it off, but just days into the relationship David started to show coercive and controlling behaviours.
David began to show bizarre traits when she went on holiday, appearing to wrap a blanket up and place one of her bikinis on it, as if she was there. As time went on, Michele admitted that she thought David had been tracking her after he kept showing up to meetings between Michele and her sister.
She eventually tried to break off the relationship, trying to write him a letter, which she would give to him on November 18, 2023. However, after watching TV late into the night, Michele went to bed, only to be woken up by David assaulting her.
“He started touching my back and putting his hands into my pants; I said ‘no, no, no’ but he pulled my pyjama bottoms down,” she recounted. “He forced my face down into the pillow while he raped me.
“He then put his hands around my stomach and tried to lift me onto all fours and then he raped me again,” she added. After the horrifying incident, she ran to the bathroom and had a shower, before collapsing on the sofa, still in horrific pain.
Unable to walk for days after the horrible attack, Michele would end up feeling “so dirty” she ended up bathing in Dettol to feel clean again. A bewildered David asked if she was okay days later, and when told he raped her, replied: “I am so f****ing sorry Michele! You know I am not like that at all I’m absolutely devastated that I’ve hurt you and went against what you said I really am sorry!”
Michele bravely reported David for what he did to her and after a lengthy court case at Newcastle Crown Court, David was officially jailed for ten years for the rapes. Michele said it was “such a relief to see him sent down”, meaning he will not be released until 2036.
Judge Recorder Mark Giuliani told Wilson at his sentencing last month: “She was saying ‘no, don’t, stop’ and you ignored her wishes because you wanted to satisfy your own carnal desire and didn’t give a care about her wishes.” He added that Michele’s victim impact statement was “chilling”, adding: “She felt so dirty she couldn’t even touch her own skin.”
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