The brave family of a nurse who was abused by her "calculating" partner endured a "year of hell" while they fought for justice.
Alexandra Reid, known as Alex, took her own life after her abusive boyfriend, Peter Yeung, 35, told her no one would believe she was being domestically abused.
The 30-year-old community nurse ended her life just days after making a statement to police about Yeung, on February 24, and an inquest found she made the tragic choice to do so over fears she would be called a liar by her partner.
Yeung pleaded not guilty to a catalogue of assaults, claiming Alex "must have" given herself the injuries, and subjected her family to the ordeal a trial.
Yeung, of Park Road, Toxteth, was sentenced to six months in prison on Monday, after a trial found his version of events wasn't plausible.
Because Alex couldn't give evidence, friends, family and a former partner testified in court to clear her name and assure she was not lying, helping to secure Yeung's conviction.
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Alex's sister, Katy Reid, said: "It was awful having to go through that, it felt like we were reliving it all. He didn't have to do any of that, but he dragged us through all that extra stress.
"It was enough having to go through Alex passing away, to then have to go through all that again. It felt really cruel for him to do that to us.
"I'll fight till the end for Alex, I always will because she didn't deserve anything that happened to her. She was a lovely, good person.
"I don't want other people to go through the same thing I have, it's been a year of hell.
"I would have never given up on it, even if it had gone on for another 10 years."
During Yeung's trial, in December, the former takeaway worker was found guilty of two charges of assault and admitted one charge of criminal damage.
The trial heard how Yeung had throttled, kicked and burst the lip of Alex, and even tried to phone the police to cover his tracks, claiming she would “make up” the abuse.
Blasting him as "calculating and thoroughly dishonest", Judge Shaw said: "You tried to escape the consequences of your actions by misleading the police on the phone and in the evidence you gave to court."
Angela Conlan, prosecuting, questioned why Yeung didn't plead guilty to the assaults, after distressing images of Alex covered in bruises were shown to the court.
Yeung was given a six-month prison sentence at Liverpool Magistrates' Court, of which he was told he will serve half.
Despite the sentence given, Katy said: "It's really hard.
"It doesn't feel like enough justice, really."
Katy, who is also a nurse, said she wanted to encourage other victims of domestic violence to come forward and not suffer in silence.
She said she doesn't want people to fear they would not be believed, as Alex did.
She said: "We want to reiterate that you should come forward if you are struggling.
"We don't want people to be scared, that was Alex's main thing. She was frightened no one would believe her.
"At the end of the day, she has been believed. We want to encourage people who are suffering as well to just tell someone."
At Yeung's sentencing, Katy said Alex's memory will live on and the family will now be able to celebrate her life.
Katy said: "We haven't really been able to grieve because we've had all this [court cases] hanging over us for so long."
She added: "She was a kind, loving and generous person. She'd give her last penny to someone, she was just such a good-hearted person.
"I've had some of her former patients get in touch with me to say how shocked they are, because she was just such a lovely person.
"Loads of people, even who she went to school with, said how lovely and funny she used to be."
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Alex died before the pandemic, but Katy said because of her nature she would have done anything for her patients, despite the risk of Covid-19, and would have been on the front-line.
She added: "I keep thinking even though she was struggling with him [Yeung], she wouldn't have give up on her patients because that's the kind of person she was."
Vicky Balenski, defending, said her client felt remorse and said he "torments himself every day with what he could have done" to stop Alex's death.
However, Judge Shaw said although Yeung expresses remorse, he still pled not guilty to the crimes.
Sentencing on Monday, Judge Shaw said: "Many factors of this case are tragically memorable."
Yeung was sentenced to six months for the first count of assault, four months for the second and one month for criminal damage.
All sentences will run concurrently.
He was also given a restraining order against Alex's family for five years, and told to pay £128 in a victim surcharge fee.
