Evil Kevin Jones, 43, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for dangerous driving and harassment after a campaign of terror against Lucy Buxton, aimed at putting her in fear of violence.
A courageous mum has come forward to share her harrowing 14-year ordeal with her abusive boyfriend, who kept her awake for up to four days at a stretch.
Lucy Buxton, 35, endured constant control from Kevin Jones, who forbade her from getting a haircut, monitored her phone around the clock, and forced her to cut ties with friends and family.
The cruel 43-year-old was sentenced in March last year to three and a half years in prison for dangerous driving and harassment intended to put someone in fear of violence. He was also given a lifelong restraining order.
However, Lucy, from Derby, fears the thug could be released as early as August this year—just ten months into his sentence. She is terrified he will seek revenge and harm her and their children.
Lucy said, “A few weeks ago, when I got a call from the probation service saying Kev was due for early release, I just broke down in tears. Ten months for a three-and-a-half-year sentence? Is that all I was worth?”
“I’ve had no time to heal, no time to recover, and barely enough time to start living my life without constantly looking over my shoulder. Kevin abused me for 14 years, and now my children and I get just 10 months of freedom.
“When he’s released, it feels like we’re going back into prison. The fear that he will find us and hurt us is overwhelming. Where are our rights? Where is our freedom? After everything, how can he possibly be rehabilitated—if ever?”
Lucy, who met Jones during a night out in 2010, said they moved in together just a few months later. Almost immediately, he began to control her. Used to going out partying with her friends, Lucy says Jones soon insisted on tagging along.
“One morning, I noticed £100 missing from my account. When I confronted Kev, he said, ‘We’re together now, it’s our money.’”
“My first serious relationship—I thought it was normal.” But the following year, when Lucy became pregnant, Jones began drinking heavily.
One night, when she was seven months pregnant, he came home drunk. When Lucy spoke up, he balled his hand into a fist.
She recalls, “I was terrified and cowered in the corner as he shouted at me.” Then, on New Year’s Eve that year, Jones lost control again after Lucy complained he’d forgotten to put the bedding in the dryer.
He lunged at her and punched a kitchen cupboard just above her head. After their eldest son was born in February 2012, Jones didn’t lift a finger—spending most nights at the pub instead.
Lucy says, “While I handled all the childcare, he resented the attention I gave our baby. When our second son was born in January 2013, if I asked for help, he’d just tell me to ‘Get on with it.’”
Soon after, Lucy discovered Jones had a gambling problem, losing hundreds of pounds on slot machines and horse races. Then he began controlling what she wore. Lucy explains, “If anything was too revealing, he’d question it and tell me I looked silly.
“Before long, he started checking my phone messages every day, making me sit for hours while he read each one aloud. It was exhausting.” When their youngest son was born in 2018, Lucy says she was barely surviving.
Many times she tried to end the relationship, escaping to her mum’s house just down the street. But Jones always found a way back in. Lucy recalls, “One day, I told him to leave.”
“He left, but snuck back into the house in the middle of the night. He woke me up and said, ‘Just remember, I can get to you anywhere.’ His threats terrified me—I didn’t feel safe in my own home.”
“After that, my family begged me to leave. But I had made peace with the idea that the only way out of the relationship was if one of us died.” Months later, Lucy received an email—purportedly from social services—informing her she was being investigated for child neglect.
“He even threatened to have me sectioned. By then, I was so sleep-deprived I could barely function.”
The following year, in March 2024, Jones came home after an all-night binge.
Accusing Lucy of cheating, he locked the doors and pocketed the keys. For hours, while the children tried to sleep, he ranted, checked Lucy’s phone, and refused to let her rest.
The next morning, after dropping the boys at school, Jones sped home at 100mph. Lucy recalls, “When I begged him to slow down, he punched me in the face and started ranting that I was having an affair.”
“Moments later, he pulled up on the pavement, and I fled. Kev chased after me and grabbed me by my hood. He threatened to kidnap our boys and said I’d never see them again.” Terrified, Lucy reluctantly got back into the car.
Minutes later, they arrived home—but he sped off again in the car. Lucy recalls, “I went out the front door and heard tires screeching. Suddenly, Kev appeared and drove the car straight at me.”
“I froze as he stopped just inches from my legs.” Then Jones ordered Lucy back into the car. She says, “I was hysterical and asked Kev, ‘When will it end?’
“He laughed maniacally and replied, ‘When you’re not alive anymore.’ That’s when I knew he’d kill me.”
Moments later, Jones sped toward a busy dual carriageway, heading into oncoming traffic. Miraculously, nothing hit them.
When the car came to a halt, Jones threw Lucy’s phone and keys at her. She managed to escape and called her mum before collecting her sons from school. Lucy then contacted the police, leading to Jones’ arrest and remand.
She recalls, “Before I gave my statement at the station, I told the officer, ‘Let me say sorry to him.’ Despite everything he’d done, he still had a hold over me.”
In October 2024, Jones pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and harassment intended to put a person in fear of violence.
With her hair cut into a bob, Lucy bravely attended Jones’ sentencing. She said, “I wanted him to know he didn’t control me anymore. I read my victim impact statement, staring him down with courage.
“Finally, I have my voice and my freedom back—and I’m going to use it to help others. For those still trapped in abusive relationships, the new plans offer no confidence to come forward or report their abusers.
“They already feel helpless, and Labour’s cuts are snuffing out any shred of hope they might have had. It’s heartbreaking and shows how broken our justice system truly is.”
