My stepfather raped me when I was 14 – even in my 20s he’d show up at my home to abuse me and I feared I’d never escape him

A mother-of-two who was sexually abused by her evil stepfather has revealed how she thought she would die with her secret.

Gill Paylor, now 42, from Hartlepool, County Durham, was 14 years old when Richard Williams, 61, began his almost decade-long reign of terror against her.

The abuse did not end until Gill was 23 and she met her husband, Sean Paylor, 37, meaning Williams could no longer pursue her.

Although Gill had tried to move on from her past, she suffered from PTSD over the years and attempted suicide numerous times while raising her children.

But her husband helped his wife come forward and inspired him to become a police officer. Now Williams has been sentenced to 28 years.

Gill, a care worker, said: ‘I spent half my life being cared for and abused by a predator. But now I have my life back and it’s his turn to suffer.

“I want other women, especially wives and mothers, to know that no matter how old you are, it is never too late to demand justice.”

In 1990, Gill was nine when her stepfather, Williams, moved into the family home after meeting her mother.

Growing up, she never had a father figure and initially found Williams attentive and loving.

Gill said: ‘But Richard became more and more sensitive over the years and wanted to tickle me or fight me. One afternoon, when I was fourteen years old, Mom was at work and Richard came into my bedroom.’

He started feeling my breasts and put his hands in my pants. He told me that people did that when they loved each other.

‘Frightened and confused, I remained silent. After he left, I told myself it must be normal and didn’t tell anyone. I thought that’s what dads did.’

Afterwards, Williams chased Gill when her mother was at work. Three months later he raped her.

Gill said: ‘Richard deflowered me. He told me I was his special girl and he would do anything for me. He made me feel loved.

‘But as I got older I started to realize it was wrong and wondered if I was being abused. He had normalized it for so long that I didn’t know what to believe.”

Meanwhile, Williams warned Gill never to tell her mother and that no one would believe her.

As Gill grew older, she fell into a deep depression as the abuse worsened. Gill said: ‘He was violent and the whole family was afraid of him. I felt trapped and isolated.

‘After every sexual assault, I buried my head in the sand and told myself nothing happened. He also became controlling, which meant I could never see friends again or have boyfriends.’

Desperate to escape, Gill moved away in 2010 when she was 18. Meanwhile, Williams got a new job as a taxi driver.

Gill said: ‘When I got my own apartment it was my new start. I hoped never to see Richard again. But a few days later, as I was unpacking and settling into my new place, I heard a knock.

‘It was Richard. He towered over me and came inside. In my new apartment, with my new life, he started abusing me again. I was terrified.’

Over the years, Williams would tell Gill’s mother that he would stop by for a cup of tea to visit her, or that he would visit her halfway through the taxi service.

Gill said: ‘Richard waited outside my house and never let me go outside. My mental health hit rock bottom. I thought I would die with my secret. I wanted it all to end.”

But in 2005 Gill met her husband Sean through mutual friends in Hartlepool and the couple fell madly in love. After six months together, Gill told Sean about the abuse that was going on.

Gill said: “Sean held me tight and was heartbroken. But I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was Richard. Mainly because he met him through family matters.

‘By then Sean and I never spent a day apart, so Richard’s visits stopped. And at the age of 23, after almost ten years, I was no longer his victim. When I felt like giving up, Sean helped me see the light. He breathed new life into me.”

Over the years, Gill and Sean had two daughters together, Brooke, 17, and Maddison, 11.

Years later, Williams and Gill’s mother separated, so she never saw him again. Gill said: ‘Eventually Sean also found out that Richard was my abuser all along.

“Sean got sick and hated him. He continued to give me the support I needed. Although no matter how hard I tried to move on, my past continued to haunt me.

“When I was thirty, Sean and I got married. But even with a loving husband and two wonderful children, I suffered from crippling PTSD. I had constant nightmares about Richard and attempted suicide a few times.’

In July 2018, Gill suffered a nervous breakdown at home. With her blessing, Sean called the police and filed a police report on her behalf.

Gill said: ‘The police handled me so carefully and most importantly I was believed. It was like the world was lifted off my shoulders.

“Sean felt so inspired by me that in 2022, at the age of 35, he decided to become a police officer. He wanted to help people, especially survivors like me. It made me love him even more.”

The following year, in August 2023, Richard Williams, 61, from Hartlepool, was found guilty of six charges of rape and two charges of indecent assault against Gill at Teesside Crown Court. In September 2023, he was sentenced to 28 years.

Gill said: “Sean took the stand and gave evidence. But when Richard went upstairs, he lied through his teeth and told the jury it was all consensual.

‘It was terrible, but I felt a strength that I had never had before. I was no longer a victim; I was a survivor. Now I’m relieved because Richard will probably die in prison. I am also finally healing and moving on with my life.

“To other survivors out there: If I can do it, you can do it too. Please don’t suffer in silence anymore. It was never your fault and you will be believed.”

For help and support, contact the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org