The woman introduced herself as Mavis Thornton, explaining that she was the hostel’s official caretaker. She made it very clear that it was a Christian charitable foundation, with special care assistants and medical attendance when necessary. Amanda was in the day care unit and she said that she would call her out. If they needed privacy she would see if there was an interview room available.
Jack waited in the reception area for over ten minutes, glancing through the various leaflets and details about local churches and services.
Miss Thornton eventually returned and said that Amanda had gone into the interview room, then asked if he would like a coffee or tea. Jack said he would love a cup of tea, and Miss Thornton showed him the way past a wide staircase into a corridor with various doors leading off it. The interview room was the second door to the right. She slid across an IN USE plaque attached to the door and gestured for him to go in, saying that she would bring his tea shortly.
Jack gave a polite knock before he opened the door and entered the small room. It had two chairs and a table, with children’s toys in a wicker basket and a bookshelf with some paperback books by the window.
Amanda was sitting with her back to the door and turned nervously as Jack entered. She was very petite, wearing a floral dress, trainers and a pink cardigan. Her long blonde hair was held back in a braid, with a heavy fringe that almost hid her eyes, but did not disguise the deep rings beneath them.
‘Hi, Amanda, I’m DS Jack Warr.’
‘Yes...’ Her hands were clasped in her lap.
‘Thank you for agreeing to talk to me.’ Jack pulled out the chair to sit opposite her and opened his notebook. He searched his pockets for a pen and had to rifle through his briefcase before he found one.
‘How long have you been here, Amanda? I hope you don’t mind me calling you by your Christian name?’
‘No.’
‘So, when did you come to stay here?’
‘Three weeks ago.’
‘Has your boyfriend, Rodney Middleton, been in contact with you since you came here?’
‘No, visitors aren’t allowed, and I don’t want to see him again.’
‘Can you tell me about the night you called the police?’
Amanda began to chew at her nails, and it was a while before she eventually explained that she had become afraid of Rodney. He had made threats because she had told him she wanted to leave him, and he had got very angry. The landlady had heard him shouting so she had come to the door and Rodney had spoken to her and apologised.
‘But as soon as she left, he punched me in the face. When I fell down, he started kicking me. I began screaming so he walked out.’
‘So what did you do then?’
‘I thought he’d do something bad, so I rang the police. He came back and started punching me again. I ran out of the room and tried to get out of the front door, but he chased after me, and kicked me until I was on the ground. He knocked me against a wall outside, and that was when the police arrived.’
‘Was he charged with assault?’
‘No, I was on me feet when they came, so I never bothered.’
‘You have called the police numerous times in the past, haven’t you?’
‘Yes.’
‘I believe you’ve suffered abuse from Mr Middleton on four different occasions, and one time you were hospitalised. But you never pressed any charges against him. Why did you stay with him, Amanda?’
Amanda shrugged and continued to chew at her nails.
‘You know, Amanda, your evidence will help to get him a lengthy sentence and he is in custody so cannot assault you. Did he threaten you?’
‘Yes, he said he’d kill me if I caused him trouble. So I did nothing because I was afraid I would be sent back to my parents. I was a runaway; Rodney took me in and cared for me when I was in a really bad way. My father was abusive, and I met Rodney at Euston Station after I escaped from my parents. I was so scared when I arrived in London. He came up to me at the station. He was really nice and bought me a burger and chips, and then when he found out I had no place to stay he took me in.’
‘When was this?’
‘Four years ago.’
‘How old were you then?’
‘Twelve. I’m seventeen now.’
Jack was shocked at her age, and jotted a note to track her details with mispers. ‘So, whilst you were living with Rodney, did you work?’
‘No, just kept the flat nice and cooked for him.’
‘What work was Rodney doing to pay for rent and food?’
‘He was on benefits and never had a job. He was mostly at home, watching TV and playing computer games.’
‘With you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Did you have any visitors?’
‘No, Social Services came to see him once, but I hid in the bedroom.’
‘So no one came from his family?’
‘No, his mother died a while back and his father is in prison.’
‘Was Rodney kind to you?’
‘Yes, mostly, but he would just sometimes have these rages and then he was nasty.’
‘Did he ever discuss his past with you?’
‘Not really. He didn’t like to talk about what had happened. I knew it was something bad as he had nightmares and would scream about being in a fire.’
‘Did you know he had two young sisters that died in the fire?’
‘No, he never said nothing about them. He had a few photographs but if I asked about who they were he would get angry, so I just left it. It was better to have him calm and being nice than have him get angry. Anyway, he took them and hid them somewhere, so I never saw the photographs again.’
Jack took notes as Amanda spoke with barely any emotion in her voice. He closed his notebook.
‘Have you been told about the trial? As a result of you contacting the police, Rodney was arrested for a violent assault on the owner of a grocery store, who recognised him and knew where he lived.’
Amanda shrugged and continued biting her nails. ‘Stupid, he done that before, got arrested for it.’
‘Did you have a sexual relationship with Rodney?’
For the first time she showed some emotion, cringing back in her chair.
‘I’m sorry to have to ask you these personal questions, Amanda, but you were underage when you first met Rodney.’
‘Yes, we had sex, but not recently.’
‘Did Rodney ever bring back other young girls when you were there?’
She nodded, shifting her weight in the chair.
‘Sometimes, but they never stayed for long. He picked them up at the station, like he did with me. They were young girls and he wanted them to stay, but I didn’t like it; that was often why we had fights.’
‘When you were left alone in the flat, did you ever think of leaving?’
‘I couldn’t.’
‘Why was that?’
‘Rodney said I’d be arrested for running away so he locked me in, for safety. I started to complain about it and that’s when the beatings started. He would tie me up so I couldn’t leave when he wasn’t there.’
‘How long did this go on for?’
‘What?’
‘You being tied up and locked in?’
‘Oh, it was ages, maybe six months or so the last time. I can’t really remember it clearly cos he would give me some of his medication to make me sleep. He blames me for his arrest, but I didn’t know that, before he started punching me, he had attacked that poor man in the local grocery shop. Like I just said, he was getting out of control with his violence to me.’
Jack was struggling to take it all in. Amanda remained completely unemotional whilst describing her trauma, while Jack was more and more shocked by her revelations. He decided that he had enough to make out a report and voice his concerns about Amanda’s welfare, which would then involve Social Services and a safeguarding team. He thanked her for her time and left the room.