I thought I was going to die - shouting 'Hey Siri' saved my life

A brave young woman has revealed how 'Siri' saved her life during a savage attack by her ex-partner, a convicted criminal. Emma-Louise Kelly, 34, was brutally assaulted by her then-boyfriend Lee Thomas, 45, at her home in Chorley, Lancashire, on January 11 this year after they returned from a meal out together.

The mum-of-one was slapped, punched, kicked, strangled and subjected to verbal and sexual abuse for over half an hour by Thomas, who has since been locked up for six years and four months for his actions.

However, the police only arrived at her house after Emma-Louise screamed at Siri to 'call 999' as she was helplessly at the mercy of Thomas. Victims of sexual offences have a statutory right to anonymity in England and Wales under Section 1 of the Sexual Offences Amendment Act 1992.

But Emma-Louise has courageously waived her right to anonymity in order to speak out. She hopes that by sharing her story, it will inspire other victims of domestic abuse or sexual offences to come forward and get the justice they deserve.

"I thought I was going to die - I was desperate and helpless," Emma-Louise told SWNS. "I was being punched, kicked, and abused. The whole time I was scared and all I could think about was my little girl.

"I was shouting for Alexa and Siri to call 999 and the police about ten minutes into it all. I didn't speak to the operator over the phone but the police turned up at my house about 20 mins later and stopped it.

"They must have traced my phone number to the house. I'm so grateful for Siri for connecting to the police as if she didn't I might not be here - she saved my life.

"I know what happened to me wasn't my fault. I think other women should read my story and hopefully find the strength to do the same, so that perpetrators can't keep getting away with it."

Emma-Louise first met Thomas in 2022 at a drug recovery hub where she was volunteering. She said they 'hit off' straight away. "It didn't take long until we were in a relationship and things became official," she continued.

"He seemed like a nice guy, taking steps to change his life for the better, like I was." Emma-Louise grew up in Blackpool, Lancashire, where she was a DJ for 12 years from 2007, aged 16.

After meeting Thomas at the hub, Emma-Louise initially believed he had turned his life around, but it later transpired that he was secretly using drugs. She also mentioned that he kept returning to his ex-partner in Rawtenstall, who was also a user.

During this time, unbeknown to Emma-Louise, he was also part of a gang that flooded Accrington and Rossendale with class A drugs.

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Emma-Louise said: "In May 2022, I went on holiday and he sent me a voice note just before I got on the plane to come home, saying the heroin had taken over, so he was going back to Rawtenstall to live with her.

"I didn't know what he meant by taking over, I assumed he meant using and not being in a drug gang. He kept going away and then returning and every time I took him back as in the early stages of recovery, you just need the love and support, and you don't want there to be any negativity in your life."

Thomas, then of Fallbarn Crescent, Rawtenstall, was later charged with conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin, and possession with intent to supply heroin and MDMA for his role in the gang.

He was then sentenced to four years' imprisonment in February 2024 at Preston Crown Court. Emma-Louise continued: "After he was put in jail, I moved on with my life and carried on.

"Then he got in touch with me about seven months later in August to say he had done really well in prison, that he'd turned his life around, and that he'd been a recovery mentor inside.

"I decided to give him another chance when he got an early release in September. At first, everything was fine. We enjoyed a nice Christmas together and a nice night in on New Year's Eve - I was happy with the relationship."

However, after returning from a meal out on January 11, 2025, she noticed a drastic change in his behaviour. "He was getting jealous of people speaking to me - men and women," she said. "He threatened to glass me in the face - at that point, I thought, 'this isn't the man I know'.

"He had never been violent towards me in the past, so this was really scary so I decided to go home separately. When I got back, he was already there.

"It was quite apparent he had maybe smoked some crack or taken cocaine, because the look in his eyes was different. Obviously, if someone has been in prison for a long time, working on recovery, and they come out clean, then if they use again, their tolerance is going to be lower."

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Emma-Louise then described the abuse she experienced in her house, explaining that it began with slapping and punching, followed by kicking. The assault lasted approximately 35 minutes in total.

"He winded me and strangled me until I passed out," Emma-Louise said. "When I came back around, he punched me again. The worst part was that he was calm and calculated.

"He was giving me constant verbal abuse in between his actions. There was also sexual assault. He said he was checking to see if I'd cheated on him. It was horrific.

"It was about ten minutes, I began shouting to my Amazon Alexa to call the police, and also shouting at my phone ', Hey Siri', and giving the command to call the police. Luckily, Siri connected my phone to the 999 service.

"I didn't speak to the operator, but they could hear everything. The operator was trying to hold it together, trying to be professional. When I listened back to the call recording at court, you can hear the operator saying, 'Oh my god, he’s going to kill her. '"

About 20 minutes later, Emma-Louise heard sirens outside before officers entered her house through the front door, which she had left unlocked upon arriving home.

She reported that Thomas was arrested at the scene and was examined by the police. The mother visited the hospital the next day, where doctors performed a head scan and checked for broken bones.

Emma-Louise sustained a concussion, a forehead cut, and bruises across her body from Thomas's punches and kicks. She described the bystanders who intervened as having 'saved her life' and also the life of her Belgian Malinois, Kiki.

Kiki has since had to undergo nine weeks of intensive training at a residential camp due to the trauma after developing anxiety from not being able to leave her crate and 'save' Emma-Louise.

Fortunately, her daughter was not at the house at the time of the incident. Thomas, now of Yarrow Road, Chorley, but previously of Rawtenstall, pleaded guilty to assault by penetration, assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

He was given a sentence of nine years and four months at Preston Crown Court on August 14, made up of a six-year, four-month sentence and a further three-year extended licence period.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for an indefinite period, and a lifetime restraining order was imposed between him and Emma-Louise. Emma-Louise has since moved away from Chorley with her daughter and her dog.

She has recently begun a new role as a recovery practitioner, following more than three years of dedicated work at various drug and domestic abuse recovery organisations.

She continued: "I want to inspire other women, whether they're in long, abusive relationships or one-off attacks, to know that justice can be served and that they don't have to hide or be ashamed."

For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.