Warning: This article contains details about domestic violence incidents which may upset some readers.
An Australian woman has shared the terrifying final threat her boyfriend made to her before he was sent to prison.
Douglas Deacon had made the threat to security guards watching over Jade McDonald as she lay in hospital nursing several broken bones due to his actions.
"Tell Jade I'm going to kill her next time I see her," he said, 9 News reports.
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The night before, Deacon had punched, spit on, and choked Ms McDonald before forcing her to drive into oncoming traffic.
Now, two years later, Ms McDonald is still recovering from her injuries while Deacon may be walking free from prison as early as October.
Deacon had grabbed the wheel from Ms McDonald and forced her into another lane after she picked him up from a night of heavy drinking.
Her femur was crushed in the crash and bother her ankles were shattered. She also had a broken wrist, cheekbone and nose as well as broken fingers and toes.
According to Ms McDonald, he was a normal boyfriend when he was sober - but when drunk he would turn angry and abusive.
She couldn't bring herself to leave him, 9 News reports. Every time she tried he would scare her into staying with him.
"He would threaten me and threaten [my friends and family] that if I was to tell anyone that he would do stuff to them and make me watch," Ms McDonald told 9 News.
The night of the crash was the first time she told anyone about the abuse - an off-duty paramedic who provided first aid.
Deacon was sentenced to five years in prison for his actions and will be eligible for parole in October, after serving a third of his sentence.
Ms McDonald says that's not nearly enough time behind bars.
"I'm angry, I'm scared," she told 9 News. "I don't think five years is enough for him, because I'm probably not going to be better in five years."
If you wish to talk to someone about mental illness or domestic violence, you can call Lifeline on 0800 543 354, the Depression Helpline on 0800 111 757 or the National Telehealth Service on 1737.
Newshub.
