Robert Easom snapped Trudi Burgess' neck when she tried to end their relationship
A man whose dad died from a brain tumour experienced double heartbreak after his mum found love again with a monster who snapped her neck.
At just 57, Trudi Burgess was rushed to hospital with a broken neck following a horrifying attack 10 months ago. The serial abuser Robert Easom, 56, is now facing years in prison after jurors found him guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm on the mum-of-two, who is still receiving full-time hospital treatment for her injuries.
Now, Trudi's two adult children have spoken out about how Easom, formerly of Chipping, Lancs, infiltrated and split apart their once happy family. They believed he prized their loving mum away and isolated her, the Mirror reports.
Jackson, 27, and Gina, 28, told the Daily Mail their mum had met Easom around nine years ago following the death of their father. Jackson, who is raising funds to pay for his mum's care, said his 'childhood sweetheart' parents, had an "incredibly loving relationship" before he was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2016.
He died later that year leaving the mum without a partner for the first time in her adult life.
Jackson said: "She met my Dad when they were 17 years old and they had an incredibly loving relationship. They fell madly in love and we saw that as children. They were always incredibly close. Then my dad died about nine years ago and that put my mum at a loss."
Jackson explained that, "at this point", Ms Burgess met Easom while he worked as his sister's gardener. Her children believe Easom hit on her due to her clearly vulnerable state.
Jackson said: "He did what narcissists do - they find someone who is malleable, someone who is vulnerable, someone who is very kind and loving - which my mum is - and they sink their teeth in.
"It was quite a long process. My mum is not a crazy person - he must have shown some affection and charm at least in the early stages. But then as time went on, it became insidious and became worse and worse. He took advantage of someone who was very vulnerable and who was not thinking clearly. I think he did that consciously."
Following this, Easom became increasingly controlling over the mum, causing her to cut off her family and friends as Easom abused her physically. Although she had documented the abuse on her phone, she only started doing this after a horrifying attack on February 17.
Easom fell into an "uncontrollable" rage when she had tried to break off their relationship, pressing on her head so hard that it broke her neck. She remembered thinking she was "gonna die" and telling Easom following the attack: "Oh my God, I can't feel anything in my body, you've ruined both our lives."
After Easom called 999 and lied that she had fallen out of bed, Trudi was rushed to hospital, where her children said she was mouthing "sorry" while being cared for by doctors.
Despite being bedbound in her recovery at hospital, Ms Burgess was able to participate in Easom's trial, telling jurors he would constantly degrade her, yell at her, and drive on purpose to scare her alongside the horror physical abuse. Her family is now aiming to raise money for her recovery, with Jackson and Gina having set up a fundraiser on GoFundMe to help her when she is allowed home.