SARAH Clark is quite calm as she recounts how her former partner strangled her unconscious and whacked her head on the dressing table.

What makes her cry is then having to recount how her two children watched their mum lying helpless and bleeding on the bedroom floor as her attacker stomped on her, while they screamed at him to stop.

Jason Payne only stopped when Sarah's eldest son Zakary, 12, rang emergency services, pleading with them to come quickly, saying: "He is killing my mum."

Her other son Max, 11, thumped her former partner on the back to try and get him to stop.

Gillingham mum Sarah, 33, suffered serious mouth, arm and head injuries, and needed surgery to have two metal plates inserted into each side of her fractured jaw.

Her mouth was wired shut, her face, neck and chest were bruised, and when she could open one of her bloodshot eyes she was shocked at the image staring back.

Sarah was at first only able to sip a special milkshake through a straw for her meals, then a liquidised dinner, and is now on the mend.

But even something as simple as eating a malteser is still beyond her grasp as her jaw cannot open wide enough.

She has nerve damage along her chin, broken teeth, and faces a further operation and extensive dental work.

Payne was jailed for 20 months at Dorchester Crown Court last month for inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Sarah spoke to the Daily Echo during national Domestic Violence Month to urge other victims not to suffer in silence.

She said she started seeing Payne around three and a half years ago.

"It was not long before he started being controlling and abusive," she said.

"I packed his stuff many times and asked him to go. He did go but would be straight back at my door again."

Sarah said the problems started with verbal abuse after Payne had been drinking, when he threw insults at her and claimed Sarah was ugly and "good for nothing".

Unable to cope, and unable to get him out of her home, Sarah left Frome for the safety of a women's refuge, before she was rehoused in Gillingham and started afresh.

A year later she went to visit some friends in Frome, and bumped into Payne.

"He apologised for the way he had treated me, and said would I give him another chance.

"He said he had changed, so I started seeing him, he started coming over to see me."

As Payne started drinking again, the problems started up.

"It started as verbal abuse then just before Christmas he gave me a black eye. I didn't call the police - he cried and said sorry.

"He promised me and the kids a holiday, and that he would get a job and sort himself out.

"At Christmas his drinking got ridiculous. He threatened to stab me, so I called the police.

"I packed his stuff and asked him to go. He cried and begged me to let him stay.

"Then he carried on drinking."

Sarah said Payne, also 33, only ever assaulted her behind closed doors, including dragging her up and down her hallway by the hair.

But he turned on the "loving couple" act for others, putting his arm around her in front of friends in public.

The catalyst for her worst injuries was a discussion over who would collect her son from youth club.

Payne went and on his return chased her upstairs, grabbed her throat and strangled her unconscious because he was angry that his bath had not been run and a meal not made.

Sarah added: "I feel stupid that I had him back.

"I had a new house, he didn't know where I was. He managed to convince me again.

"I want to tell other women, that even if they don't want to phone the police because they are frightened, you can phone domestic helplines and they will put you in touch with a refuge.

"They will help you do that.

"For your kids' sake you have got to get out and don't ever go back."