'Without them I wouldn’t be here': Domestic violence victim relives moment partner shot her in front of her children
WARNING - GRAPHIC CONTENT: A Queensland mother and her children are reliving the night her partner tried to murder her in her home, hoping other families will never experience the same horror.
Daryl Fields had already shot Rachael Moore once when he reloaded his rifle on April 11, 2014. That’s when her son Cameron, then 12, acted to save her life.
“As he shot the gun I ran forward, elbowed him in the stomach and took the gun off him,” Cameron told Sunrise.
“I jumped the verandah and hid it under the verandah and as soon as I came back in he was on top of mum strangling her, gouging her eyes out.”
Fields was sentenced to 12 years last week for the vicious attack in his family's home.
Rather than close the book on the violent memories of their mother being strangled by her former partner, the Moore family is retelling the story.
The brave children and their mother don't want anyone to live through the same experience.
From the moment his car pulled up in the driveway, Ms Moore knew she was in trouble.
“I remember kids screaming, loudness and then it just smelt like metal and I felt like someone punched me,” she said.
“I moved to the right so instead of it getting me in the chest it went out through here and out the back."
Her five children, aged between three and 13, watched on in horror as their wounded mum fought for her life.
“I remember just thinking I can’t die, I have to get it together and that’s when he started gouging my eye out," she said.
Fields is now serving 12 years behind bars for attempted murder, while the victim of his violent attack prepares for her 26th operation on a long road to recovery.
“I think that’s the most we're going to get in this country or any country really for attempted murder,” she told Channel 7.
“As a family, we’re happy, that was the number we were happy with.”
Very close to losing her wounded arm, Ms Moore underwent countless skin grafts and while she still suffers from intense nerve pain.
She said without her children it would have been an entirely different story.
“Without them I wouldn’t be here… They’re pretty amazing kids aren’t they.”
While the family of six is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, the recovering mum said she wanted to use her experience to help end domestic violence.
She wants more children to empowered to act in anyway they can.
“Go and seek help, ask their friends, their neighbours, speak to someone they know they can trust, to get out of that house and seek some help,” she said.
To help the recovering family on their road to recovery donations can be made through Rotary.
If you or someone you know is suffering from sexual or domestic abuse, don't suffer in silence, call 1800 RESPECT any time of day or night.
