Single mum Danielle wasn’t looking for love when she signed up to the dating website Plenty of Fish. But the 31-year-old, from Tameside, Greater Manchester, quickly found herself wooed by handsome Ryan Fletcher, 38.
The relationship started well, but less than a year into their romance, Fletcher became possessive and controlling, eventually turning violent. After a night out, he attacked Danielle so brutally that he triggered a medical condition, causing a massive tumour to develop behind her ear. This left Danielle partially deaf, a condition she still struggles with over two years later.
Here, Danielle bravely shares her story with Fabulous Digital.
Danielle, crediting Medavia, explained that she hadn’t dated anyone since having her daughter, now six, and wasn’t eager to rush into a relationship when she came across Ryan on Plenty of Fish in June 2016. As a single mum, she had little time for dating, but one day, intrigued by Ryan’s profile, she decided to respond to his message. Tattooed with dark hair, Ryan caught her eye immediately with a simple, “Hey gorgeous, how are you?”
Their messages quickly turned into a month-long correspondence, leading to their first date at a pub in Manchester. They got along well and began seeing each other more frequently. By Christmas Day that year, they were officially a couple, though they didn’t live together but spent considerable time together.
Things took a dark turn in April 2018, when Fletcher brutally beat Danielle, forcing her to flee to her mum’s home. Danielle handed a recording of the incident to the police, which was used as evidence during Fletcher’s trial at Manchester’s Minshull Street Court. In February, Fletcher was found guilty of two counts of assault and one of threatening criminal damage and was sentenced to three years and six months in jail.
Sadly, the trauma has left Danielle mistrustful of men, and she now prefers to stay single. Yet, she finds solace in the positives from her ordeal. She aspires to join the police force to support women who have been victims of domestic abuse, drawing strength from her own experience.
Danielle is still receiving treatment to preserve her hearing, and while the emotional scars are deep, knowing her actions put Fletcher behind bars has given her the resilience to carry on.
A shocking report revealed that 10 percent of domestic abuse victims are forced to sleep rough after being refused emergency accommodation. This highlights the dire circumstances many victims face, much like Danielle’s harrowing experience.