I knew it would feel like a trial, as in effect that is what it is, a trial in the Family Courts with a Judge making a final decision.
The nerves were off the scale, and as I arrived at Court I was very happy to be in the hands of my barrister Patrick. He was legendary and I will segue just to say that without him I don't think we would have had the result we did.
His first question, my wedding, the assertation I was unhinged. I did have to explain in front of my parents that I was unprepared for a Greek wedding and the nail in the coffin was unintentionally having a spliff at 4am....but I was also confident I had done nothing wrong.
Even though I hadn't done anything wrong I still had to appear in Court with my liver function test results to prove I wasn't an alcoholic (the fact that Court, Social Workers and Police drove me to drink was ironic).
I was on the stand first as I was the applicant. I was sworn in on the bible and the Court felt every bit like I was in a 1940's Agatha Christie. I had been told to dress 'mummsy' but that is so far removed from my style I went Alicia Flockhart - black dress and heels.
As I gave evidence I was clear and concise, I thought I had done well but my Barrister still said I had made some blunders. I had been prepared to find my evidence the most stressful but actually the most traumatic was when I had to see Liam on the stand. He was comical, lunging (??), but seeing him deny and being face to face with him was the worst. I felt traumatised from seeing him.
We then over the course of the next couple of days had my parents and his friends. Some parts were comical, particularly with my parents.
Waiting for the Judgement was interminable. We had to wait 2 weeks from the Fact Finding to attend Court and hear his decision. I sobbed hysterically throughout, but Liam was found guilty of 5 counts of sexual abuse and 1 count of emotional abuse (the grooming). I naively thought it would be over but we were instructed we had to return for a Judgement on Contact.
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