Woman, 24, stabbed 27 times by controlling social media boyfriend after dumping him

She now wants to raise awareness about controlling partners. (Image: HotSpot Media)

A British woman has revealed how her controlling ex-boyfriend stabbed her 27 times after she dumped him.

Nicole Harper, 24, of Manchester in UK almost died after the horrific attack but saved her own life by stemming the bleeding with a dirty sock.

Sickeningly, attacker Timothy Pike, 25, took a photo of her dying and sent it to a friend.

In July last year, he pleaded guilty to attempted murder and was given an indefinite hospital order.

Now Nicole, a bank clerk, wants to show the red flags in controlling relationships.

She says: "Timothy was emotionally abusive which I never spotted at first.

"My family begged me to leave him, but I was so in love with him, I couldn't seem him ever hurting me."

Nicole met Pike in August 2016 over the dating website OKCupid.

She was attracted to Pike because he was 'muscly' (Image: HotSpot Media)

A few weeks later, Nicole agreed to meet him at his home in Glossop, Derbyshire.

She says: "Tim was practically bouncing off the walls in excitement when we met. His confidence put me at ease and I found myself enjoying our first date.

"We watched a film together at his, and it felt really natural. After that, we became a couple. I loved having Tim on my arm, he was gorgeous and muscly.

"He seemed like the perfect boyfriend- even giving me money to treat myself."

But by October 2016, Pike's personality switched and he became controlling.

Nicole recalls: "He asked me how many men I'd slept with, which I thought was odd. Then he accused me of being impure and broke up with me because I'd had other boyfriends.

"It was so out of the blue. That same day, he begged me to take him back.

"I agreed because I was besotted."

Pike continued to emotionally abuse Nicole by breaking up with her then begging her to take him back.

His behaviour worsened and he became obsessed with dark thoughts.

Sickeningly, he'd send Nicole pictures of skinned or decapitated bodies that he'd found on the internet with the message: 'This will be you'.

Nicole says: "I thought it was just a sick joke, so I laughed it off.

"But it was horrifying. He even sent the images to my parents and they begged me to break up with him.

"I was adamant that he'd never hurt me."

In February 2018, Nicole moved in with Pike and his parents in Glossop.

By this time, he had isolated her from her friends and family, refusing to let her speak or see them.

Nicole says: "I was getting more and more desperate and I realised that I was fed up with his controlling ways. But I was too scared to tell him.

"Then one night, Tim asked me if I ever saw a future between us. I told him I didn't and told him I'd move out the next day.

"Tim didn't put up a fight, and we both went to bed as normal."

The next morning as Nicole got ready for work, Tim launched a terrifying attack on her while they were home alone.

She says: "I walked into the bedroom and out of nowhere he stabbed me over and over again in my back, stomach, throat, and armpit.

"I could hear air coming out of my lungs as I collapsed to the floor.

"Then Tim pulled the hood of my coat over my face and tried to suffocate me.

"He never said a word and just seemed so calm. It was bizarre.

"As I lay on the floor, he stamped on my back and neck.

"It was then I realised that I was going to die as I fell in and out of consciousness."

Moments later, Pike sat on the bed and aimed his mobile at Nicole.

Disgustingly he was taking a picture of his dying girlfriend.

Nicole says: "While he took photos of me, I managed to crawl to the bed and get my mobile to dial 999.

"Then I grabbed a dirty sock and held it to a gash on my neck- stemming the blood."

Minutes later, paramedics and police officers arrived.

Pike was arrested at the scene and Nicole was rushed to Manchester Royal Infirmary hospital where she underwent surgery on her wounds.

There a doctor revealed that she had been stabbed 27 times and was lucky to be alive.

Nicole says: "The pain was agonising.

"I had surgery to stitch up my wounds and was in the hospital for two weeks while I recovered."

In July 2019, Pike pleaded guilty to attempted murder at Derby Crown Court.

During the hearing, it was revealed that he had sent a picture of Nicole as she lay dying to a friend.

He was given an indefinite hospital order after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

Nicole says: "Since the attack, I've suffered from nightmares and flashbacks of what happened.

"I've realised that the attack wasn't my fault.

"I just wish I'd listened to my family earlier, but he manipulated me into thinking that I needed him.

"Tim tried to finish me off, but I'm still standing.

"I've been left with scars all over my body which I'm self-conscious about but I'm just happy to be alive."