A MOTHER and daughter say they will never forget the night they were attacked by a man they had trusted.

Claire and Tiffany Edwards were grabbed by the throat, had their hair pulled and one of them was swung around like a “child with a doll” by one-time Mr Wales entrant Julian Viner, 39, of Maple Close, Blackwood.

The women, who decided to face their attacker in court instead of giving evidence from a nearby room, described the experience as “horrendous”.

But Tiffany said: “We are proud of ourselves for standing up to a bully like that.”

Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court heard bodybuilder Viner, who was found guilty of common assault, denied he had been in a relationship with 5ft Claire Edwards in an interviewwith police.

Howevermagistrates heard he had been for ten months, while still with his partner of 12 years, Lynne Matthews. Claire, 51, who believed 18-stone Viner was single when they met, said he regularly came to her house when he was preparing for bodybuilding competitions, and she cooked for his special diet.

“The sad thing is it ended up like this. At the end of the day I welcomed that man into my home, and to turn round and find yourself in that position it’s unbelievable and upsetting,” Claire said.

Viner claimed he acted in self-defence after the women attacked him near Asda in Blackwood.

The women said they felt like they were on trial. “I believe they were trying to muddy the waters as they didn’t have anything on us,” Tiffany said. They said the guilty verdict is justice, but emotionally the effects of the attack go on.

The pair suffer flashbacks and Claire said she has an ongoing problem with her arm and has not been able to return to work. They were pleased with the restraining order Viner is now subject to and by telling their story, they hope other victims of domestic violence will come forward.

“However hard it was, we were not just thinking of ourselves. This might give somebody the courage to go ahead and tell police,” Claire added.