A woman tried to break up with her boyfriend days before he murdered her.
Hollie Gazzard, a hairdresser and beloved daughter and auntie, was only 20 years old when she was murdered by jealous and manipulative ex-boyfriend Asher Maslin. Hollie had tried to break off their year-long relationship just days before.
In the days following the break-up, Maslin emptied Hollie's bank account, sent her abusive and vile messages and even threatened to throw acid in her face. Hollie went to police and was considering getting an injunction against him as he had previously tried to strangle her.
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Then, on Tuesday February 18, 2014, Hollie was brutally murdered by Maslin after he found her at the salon where she worked. Horrified customers watched as he stabbed her 14 times with a knife he had bought earlier with money from selling his DVD player.
Hollie had told a customer how the Gloucester salon was the only place she felt safe, and how she had been scared to leave the house since the break-up.
In the trial that followed, Hollie's dad Nick Gazzard told the court how his daughter had seemed reluctant to go to work after Maslin had called her in the morning. He said: "On Tuesday, February 18 our lives were destroyed. Since that day a part of us has died and our lives will never be the same.
"We have been asking, why someone would do this to our beautiful baby girl.
"This should never have happened. Why has he done this to her?"
Since her death, Hollie's family have been campaigning to improve the safety of vulnerable people and reduce domestic violence. They also created Hollie Guard, an app that turns a mobile device into an advanced safety device that can help protect both vulnerable woman, as well as men and people of other genders, from possible danger.
The Hollie Gazzard Trust recently partnered with Cheshire Police in a bid to protect vulnerable local people. The constabulary said they were "extremely pleased" with the partnership that will "be used to help the most vulnerable and at-risk" in communities in the county.
Nick Gazzard said: "We’re delighted to be in partnership with Cheshire Police and their roll out of Hollie Guard. We know Hollie Guard is an effective tool and can help individuals stay safe. With International Women’s day approaching, it’s really important to highlight the safety concerns women and girls are facing and how Hollie Guard can help."
A number of schemes are available in Merseyside which look to protect women and girls from violence. These include a new "walk and talk" scheme that was recently piloted across Merseyside.
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: "We recently piloted a ‘Walk & Talk’ scheme in Liverpool and invited women and girls to join police officers on patrols to share their concerns about safety. Women were able to walk through areas where they felt unsafe with officers and representatives from partner organisations, discussing what can be done to alleviate their concerns, as well as hear their suggestions about what can be done to make them feel safer.
"The scheme will be rolled out across Merseyside."
They added: "Support is also available through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service delivered jointly by two registered charities.
"In Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, support is provided by Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801 and, in St Helens and Knowsley, by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063."
If you have any information on domestic abuse – if you are a victim or believe someone you know is a victim - you can direct message @MerPolCC on Twitter, ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook.
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