Annette Bramley says Holly’s Law would stop perpetrators acquiring pets and raise awareness of domestic abuse link
When I was in an abusive, controlling and violent situation I remember meeting my mum in secret and when he found out there were always consequences that I would have to pay, verbal or physical. One day she said, you’ll go back to him and he will kill you. Looking back, she was absolutely right but in the midst of it, I didn’t see it. That’s the power of coercive control.
I now say that the coercive controls started on the night that we met. Like we do in everyday life we tell people about ourselves, where we live, where we work, about our family and social life. I told him I loved my job as a Legal Secretary, how I was closed to my mum and that I lived for my weekends and going out with friends. When I moved in with him, they are the three things he took away from me, long before the physical violence began.
You see, coercive control is a process, a pattern of ongoing, controlling behaviours used to dominate, intimidate, and isolate another person.
Holly’s mum describes her as being family-oriented and a lover of animals. “She adored anything small and furry, or even not. I mean, she thought orangutans were beautiful,” she said.
When Holly ended up in a controlling and abusive relationship, her husband, Nicholas Metson, was quick to use this passion against her. He bought Holly a puppy and then tried to kill it by putting it in a washing machine at their home in Lincoln. After it was rescued by Holly, he drowned it in a bath.
He went on to kill and abuse numerous hamsters, rabbits and guinea pigs over the course of their seven-year relationship.
I think that this particular petition will highlight coercive control and its impact right at the start of the situation, it will draw more awareness to what coercive control looks and feels like, rather than waiting until it’s too late. I believe it will save lives.
When Holly ended up in a controlling and abusive relationship, her husband, Nicholas Metson, was quick to use this passion against her. He bought Holly a puppy and then tried to kill it by putting it in a washing machine at their home in Lincoln. After it was rescued by Holly, he drowned it in a bath.
⚖️ Hollys Law calls for a formal process to disclose intelligence relating to animal cruelty, not just convictions. This is a crucial gap that currently exists within Clare’s Law (the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme).
We know police forces can disclose information about animal abuse under the Right to Ask and Right to Know. However, the approach varies significantly between forces. It isn’t explicitly covered in the published guidance, and, ultimately, you can only disclose the information that has been recorded.
For many years, police intelligence systems have not routinely captured intelligence about pets in the home. Even where convictions exist, they may be recorded under different offence categories, such as criminal damage, making them difficult to identify.
Closing this gap once felt like an obvious next step. More recently, however, progress has become far more challenging, with increasing resistance to change.
If we aren’t talking about coercive control we aren’t talking about domestic abuse because it’s there at the beginning and it’s there at the end. It’s the thread that runs through domestic abuse. Holly’s Law would provide a critical tool for early intervention and prevention.
If you’re a safeguarding professional or expert and would like to help strengthen the case for Hollys Law, please email mark@naturewatch.org or enquiries@haworthfamilylaw.co.uk.
Such a register could:
Enable authorities to identify patterns of violent behaviour at an earlier stage
Provide vital information to protect potential partners and families
Support law enforcement and safeguarding agencies in risk assessment
Raise public awareness of the link between animal abuse and human violence
By formally recognising animal cruelty as a significant warning sign, Holly’s Law could help prevent future tragedies — protecting both vulnerable people and animals.
If you haven’t done so already, please sign the petition.
Thank you.