EXCLUSIVE: 'He crushed a broken glass into my hand and hit me as I held our baby': Stephanie Davis says she will NEVER get back with Jeremy McConnell as she reveals for the first time the full extent of his domestic abuse

  • Stephanie Davis and Jeremy McConnell had a turbulent relationship that ended last year after a bitter row
  • Reality star McConnell was given a 20-week suspended jail sentence for assaulting the ex Hollyoaks actress 
  • He claimed she begged him to visit her home and said she still loved him in a barrage of emails, despite having a restraining order against him
  • Steph today told MailOnline in an exclusive interview that she will never get back together with McConnell

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Stephanie Davis has told for the first time of the full scale of domestic abuse she suffered at the hands of ex Jeremy McConnell - and vowed she would never get back together with him

Stephanie Davis has told for the first time of the full scale of domestic abuse she suffered at the hands of ex Jeremy McConnell - and vowed she would never get back together with him

Stephanie Davis has told for the first time of the full scale of domestic abuse she suffered at the hands of ex Jeremy McConnell - and vowed she would never get back together with him.

In an emotional interview, the former Hollyoaks actress revealed reality star McConnell battered her as she held her baby son - and crushed a glass into her hand during a blazing row.

She suffered two severed tendons following the brutal attack and had to undergo surgery.

Stephanie, 24, told of her ordeal after McConnell claimed she begged him to visit her home and said she still loved him in a barrage of emails, despite having a restraining order against him.

But today speaking exclusively to MailOnline, she said McConnell contacted her first and insisted: 'It's complete rubbish, I responded to him not the other way round.

'The reason why I've always humoured him was because I've always been chasing that man I fell in love with on Big Brother. I always wanted to find that funny, charming guy but he is nothing but a narcissist and his mask slipped practically the moment we'd left the studio. 

'When he got in touch blaming his problems on a drug addiction I wanted to believe him and did want to see him. 

'But this was before I went into rehab and I'm now so much more stronger and I've realised that I don't need him any more. He has always got off on controlling me and using me to find fame and now that he can no longer do that, he's hitting out in the media.'

'For so long I felt like I didn't have a voice because I was too scared to speak out but I'm not going to be silent any longer.

This shocking photo shows Steph laying in a hospital bed recovering after McConnell allegedly crushed a broken glass into her hand following a row in a London hotel room. It shows her lying in a hospital bed with the oxygen mask still attached

This shocking photo shows Steph laying in a hospital bed recovering after McConnell allegedly crushed a broken glass into her hand following a row in a London hotel room. It shows her lying in a hospital bed with the oxygen mask still attached

Stephanie was pictured eating chips at a McDonald's restaurant after a fight with McConnell last June in which she had bruises on her arm. She told MailOnline that domestic violence continued right throughout their turbulent relationship

Stephanie was pictured eating chips at a McDonald's restaurant after a fight with McConnell last June in which she had bruises on her arm. She told MailOnline that domestic violence continued right throughout their turbulent relationship

Stephanie says she is stronger and happier after a spell in rehab as she battled alcohol problems. She is pictured holding their son, Caben-Albi George, who was born in January 2017 while McConnell was in Thailand on a lads holiday

Stephanie says she is stronger and happier after a spell in rehab as she battled alcohol problems. She is pictured holding their son, Caben-Albi George, who was born in January 2017 while McConnell was in Thailand on a lads holiday

'I've seen and read things about me which are just not true and it's time people knew the truth. He was a bully who ruled through fear and left me contemplating suicide but I'm stronger now and determined to set the record straight.'

McConnell was sentenced to 20 months in prison suspended for 12 months in August last year for a separate assault on Stephanie in March that year at their home in Liverpool. He has always denied assulting the actress.

She met 28-year-old reality TV star and model McConnell on Celebrity Big Brother in January 2016 and they became a couple after the show.

An email sent by McConnell telling his ex Stephanie that he still loves her and hopes that he misses her

An email sent by McConnell telling his ex Stephanie that he still loves her and hopes that he misses her

At first she fell for his rugged good looks and Irish charm but it did not take long for the mask to slip.

Following an argument, McConnell grabbed Stephanie's hand as she held a glass of cola. Using his strength, he cupped her hand with his and smashed the glass so shards sliced into her fingers.

She recalled: 'I yelped out in pain and instinctively threw my hand into the air and as I did so I accidentally caught Jeremy in the face. 

'He always bruises easily because of his high cheek bones and he was left with a black eye, which he later posted images of on social media to get attention.

'Meanwhile I'm standing there with blood dripping out my hand, shaking in shock and fright.

'He'd deliberately broken the glass as I held it and then rubbed the shattered glass into my hand.

'Two of my fingers on my right hand just fell because he'd cut the tendons. I had to wear a cast and a splint afterwards but I used to wear long sleeved tops to cover it so photographers couldn't see. That was to protect him.'

Surgeons reattached the tendons after an operation but nearly two years on she has limited movement in those fingers.

Stephanie, 24, told of her ordeal after McConnell claimed she begged him to visit her home and said she still loved him in a barrage of emails, despite having a restraining order against him

Stephanie, 24, told of her ordeal after McConnell claimed she begged him to visit her home and said she still loved him in a barrage of emails, despite having a restraining order against him

Stephanie insisted she would never get back together with reality star McConnell (pictured). She insisted that McConnell contacted her first and insisted: 'It's complete rubbish, I responded to him not the other way round.'

Stephanie insisted she would never get back together with reality star McConnell (pictured). She insisted that McConnell contacted her first and insisted: 'It's complete rubbish, I responded to him not the other way round.'

A shocking image of her recovering afterwards, seen here for the first time, shows her lying in a hospital bed with the oxygen mask still attached. The bloody attack was not a one-off, however, as McConnell continued with his violent and controlling behaviour. 

She said he would fly into cocaine-induced rages and accuse her of cheating on him when I reality it was the other way round.

Stephanie said: 'He would hit his head with his fist when we argued, it was like he was getting his frustration out that way. My home is full of dents and cracks because he would then start smashing up the furniture.

'He has scars on his wrist and his neck because when things got really bad, he'd cut himself in front of me. It was emotional blackmail. I was always accused of sleeping around because he was paranoid on cocaine but he was the one doing the dirty. He even admitted cheating on me during an Irish TV chat show.'

The couple split in May 2016 but Stephanie fell pregnant with their first child. Their son, Caben-Albi George was born in January 2017 while McConnell was in Thailand on a lads holiday. 

Of their fights, Steph said: Stephanie said: 'He would hit his head with his fist when we argued, it was like he was getting his frustration out that way. My home is full of dents and cracks because he would then start smashing up the furniture.'

Of their fights, Steph said: Stephanie said: 'He would hit his head with his fist when we argued, it was like he was getting his frustration out that way. My home is full of dents and cracks because he would then start smashing up the furniture.'

For a time, the couple rekindled their romance but Stephanie said his violent temper was never far from the surface. 

A few weeks after the birth of their son, McConnell moved in to her home in Liverpool and head butted her in the face, Steph claims. Worse was to come, however, when they stayed at a central London hotel in March last year.

Stephanie claimed: 'We'd had a lovely suite and they'd brought up a bottle of champagne but I didn't like to drink with Jeremy because of how violent he could become. I tried to stop him from opening the bottle and we got into a huge fight and he punched me and dragged me across the room. I was holding Caben at the time but he didn't seem to care.

'At one point I had to twist my body to shield my son and make sure I landed on the floor on my back. I had bruising all over my arm and when he stormed out I went downstairs and explained what had happened and checked into a new room.' 

Matters came to a head last summer when Stephanie finally decided to leave McConnell for good. They checked into another hotel in Westminster in June where Stephanie was attacked again.

She said she was once more punched and pushed. Fighting back tears she recalled: 'He hit me and then held a corkscrew to his neck. I used to have a default reaction, out of stress more than anything, I'd start laughing nervously and go to the window and wrap myself in the curtain. I didn't want to look back because I didn't want to see more blood. I just gazed out of the window.

'Grabbing Caben I ran out of the room and down the corridor but to make me react he pretended to collapse. I didn't want to go over to him in case he grabbed hold of me like in a horror film.'

Stephanie fled to another hotel in north London but she was hiding a secret, she was pregnant again. McConnell confronted two days later after she rang to tell him and told him where she had gone.

She said: 'He turned up drunk, he'd been photographed lying on a park bench the previous day having gone on a bender. He met me in the lobby and said something like 'who in their right mind is going to want you now with two of my kids?' He grabbed me and head butted me and I ran back into the room.

'He followed and headbutted me in the face breaking the cartilage in my nose and started to smash up the four poster bed. I ran into the lobby with blood streaming down my face shouting for someone to call the police.'

Stephanie says McConnell now has no contact with their baby son since the pair separated

Stephanie says McConnell now has no contact with their baby son since the pair separated

McConnell blamed Stephanie for the fight and accused her of attacking him after photographs of him taken shortly afterwards showed him with two black eyes and bruised cheeks.

He said Steph had just told him that she was pregnant for the second time - and then went 'mental' when she looked at his phone and saw he was following another woman on social media.   

He said: 'I swear I never laid a finger on her. I do not hit women and do not hit pregnant women. I did not touch her. Any marks that she has on her are self inflicted.'

Steph was arrested on suspicion of GBH after the incident at the Royal Chace Hotel in Enfield on July 2 last year. The Metropolitan Police have now dropped the charge and she will face no prosecution.

She said: 'I'm 5ft 2in and he's about 6ft 4in and powerfully built. He'd always tower over me even when I wore six inch heels.

'Yet he accused me of breaking up this big solid oak four poster bed and of assaulting him. He'd punched himself In the face which is why he had the bruises and then blamed me.'

Before she entered rehab, McConnell sent her a grovelling email asking to rekindle their romance - despite having a restraining order preventing him from contacting her

The violence and constant fear drove Stephanie to alcohol abuse and she entered rehab in November last year. 

After three months of therapy, including disclosing the beatings and assaults to counsellors, she emerged last month. 

She has not touched a drop of alcohol since and said: 'I used it as a coping mechanism. I didn't wake up every morning and feel like I had to have a drink, but every time I felt scared or worried I'd find comfort and solace in booze. When things got really bad I didn't want to live but didn't want to die either because I had Caben so I turned to drink every time.'

Hitting back: Jeremy denied Stephanie's claims in a lengthy Twitter post on Wednesday to his 385,000 followers 

Hitting back: Jeremy denied Stephanie's claims in a lengthy Twitter post on Wednesday to his 385,000 followers 

Before she entered rehab, McConnell sent her a grovelling email asking to rekindle their romance - despite having a restraining order preventing him from contacting her.

She replied, hoping that he had somehow changed, but gradually the messages began getting more threatening. He leaked some of her messages to the media accusing her of trying to encourage him to break the order and get back together.

One read: 'I miss u, I miss our laughs and I miss our sex. Don't u? Just call me, I love you.'

Jeremy hit out at the claims on Twitter, as he reasoned that the picture of Stephanie in hospital with blonde locks was not taken as a result of his violence. 

He addressed his 385,000 followers on Wednesday by posting: 'Have to honestly laugh at this human , when was she blonde with caben?. She is a compulsive liar with that mother and aunt of hers there poison all because I was going on ex on the beach , Iv all the back up I need to clear my name for anyone to think I laid a finger on her.' 

Jeremy continued: 'Her mum and aunt stood up in court and lied through there Teeth I will get justice, and as stupid as I was for never getting her done for the numerous times she attacked me , it’s pathetic people being brain washed on this

'I do know it shouldn’t be public for important reasons, there is only so much you can watch and that is printed for caben to see when he is older I have to defend myself through articles at this stage ,it’s sick what’s taking place and people are enabling that person ,It’s LIES'.

Stephanie now plans to work closely with domestic violence charities and to hopefully make a documentary highlighting the dangers some women are in.

She added: 'I've helped women who have undergone the same experiences as me and some who have suffered far worse, and it's made me feel so good.

'Domestic violence victims are not alone, there is help out there, and if I can put that message out then hopefully more women will come forward. 'I've lived that hell, I've lived that nightmare and wouldn't wish it on anyone.'

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Stephanie Davis will never get back with Jeremy McConnell

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