Sophia Newton's, 25, father, Kevin Newton, 45, killed her mother, Assia, 44, in 2013. Her sisters, Sameera, 19 and Charmaine, 25 have broken down their relationship with her because Sophia still visits her father, takes his phone calls and adores him!
Sophia was quoted saying, "He's still my dad."
We always find more victims in a murder than only the one killed.
Sophia was only 18 when her mother was dead and her father was sent to prison being convicted for the same.
Unaware of the big bad world, she always thought that they were the perfect family. She did agree that there were small problems in their family too by telling, "but, we weren't the sort of family where things get, you know, really bad." Now, she endures the changes in her life and was quoted saying, "My sisters think I've let my mother down. They don't speak to me. If I bump into them in the supermarket, it's horrible for everyone. Since mom died I've lost everything - her, dad, my sisters, my home, even my pets. I don't see my dogs anymore."
Working in a care home in Bridgend, South Wales, Sophia took part in the documentary titled, 'Love You To Death.'
The documentary was based on a study on women who were murdered by their lovers and husbands. It also described the lives of those who were left behind and the guilt of the family members for not being able to spot the danger signs of whatever was going on.
The Newton sisters never identified that their mother when alive was a victim of domestic abuse.
Sophia struggles hard to accept the truth and so do the others.
"We had no idea Assia was in such danger but, looking back, all the signs were there."
Kelvin was a builder. He and Assia had four children - three daughters and a son, Daniel, who happened to be the eldest. Sophia, who had an ordinary and happy childhood was closer to her dad because of similar interests. She said, "Dad had temper issues. He was diagnosed as bipolar not long before mom died."
The family was a close knit one.
Sophia, who had an ordinary and happy childhood was closer to her dad because of similar interests. She said, "Dad had temper issues. He was diagnosed as bipolar not long before mom died."
Assia and Kelvin's marriage was on the rocks for quite sometime.
They split in 2011.
Assia had a job at the supermarket.
As explained by Nadia, Assia went to extents changing her lifestyle to suit that of Kelvin's. She said, "Assia stopped wearing make-up. I didn't ask why, but then one day she put on blusher and he went mad at her. He even resented her being with her family. He wore her down. Kelvin's violent rages were quite common and Assia even hid some of the abuses." Nadia also remembers Assia sharing with her about leaving Kelvin a number of times but, he would resort to emotional blackmailing.
Sophia exclaimed that the worst phase they had to face together as a family was Daniel's death in a traffic accident when he was 21 in 2008.
The death also affected her mother a lot.
Sophia said about her mother, "Sometimes I feel she died when Daniel died. She was in bits. She got really depressed afterwards. She couldn't work and was always crying."
Assia had asked Kevin for a divorce after meeting a water in Tunisia.
Assia had jokingly described herself as 'Shirley Valentine.' Kevin took it quite well then and Assia was to fly out for the third time in three days.
The image below shows the flowers on Assia's coffin.
Then, Kelvin strangled her with a dog lead and she died. Surprisingly, next day, Kelvin surrendered himself to the police. An 18-year sentence was given to him after finding him of being guilty of murder.
Sophia visits her father in prison every two months and he too calls her often.
Her sister couldn't take it that she sympathizes with their father. Sophia describes her feelings towards him as being quite complex. Though she agrees he has committed a heinous crime and she would never be able to forgive him for that but, she feels keeping in touch with him has helped her to move on easily. Her relatives think that Assia endured the painful marriage just because she loved all her children. Sophia said, "Now look at us. Mom would hate this."