It was a night that started out like any other for Hayley Wormleaton, but one would end in horror, trauma and loss.
Hayley, then aged 19, was sitting in the bedroom of her home in Lalor Park, western Sydney in September 2015, when her uncle came home.
He was not acting like himself.
“I heard my nan call out to me,” Hayley said.
“I then walked out of my bedroom door and (my uncle) was sitting on the lounge next to my nan, and he had a knife.”
Hayley ran to her neighbour’s house to ask for help.
Her nan also tried to run, but only made it to the neighbours’ lawn before she was murdered.
Hayley called police and tried to run back to the home, as she knew there were children, her cousins, still inside the house with her uncle.
“I tried to go back out the front door, but my neighbour wouldn’t let me,” Hayley said.
One of her cousin’s managed to run to safety next door.
When the police arrived, Hayley went outside and saw the body of her seven-year-old cousin on the lawn. He too had been murdered by her uncle.
Hayley’s 35-year-old uncle was convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to a maximum of 40 years imprisonment.
Growing up, Hayley said she was surrounded by domestic violence and grew to accept it as normal.
“It was normal for me to wake up in the middle of the night with things being smashed and doors being kicked in and yelling and screaming and I would wake up and go to school the next day,” Hayley said.
“My nan used to have a saying, ‘Whatever happens at home stays at home.'”
Eight years later, Hayley said she was now very aware that such violence is not normal.
‘Power comes back’: NSW Police launch app to help victim-survivors
Hayley is sharing her story as NSW Police launch an app today, which is aimed at helping victims of domestic violence to discreetly document abuse and access support services.
Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith the “Empower You” app was designed to do exactly that – empower victims of abuse.
“The ‘Empower You’ app was designed to be user-friendly, intuitive, and interactive, while still having the best safety features for user privacy and discretion,” Smith said.
“It has inbuilt features to keep it private on any mobile, including passcodes and quick lock, and has a modest-looking icon that’s designed not to alert perpetrators.
“The diary feature allows a victim to collect their thoughts – including photos of injuries and property damage, and screenshots of emails or messages – and document an incident when it happens, no matter how minor or whether they report it to police at that time.
“This is especially important in terms of coercive control, where we know a victim often feels helpless, so with ‘Empower You’, the abuse is clearly demonstrated, and the power comes back to the victim.”
The ‘Empower You’ app is available in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, and NSW Police officers have QR codes on their MobiPOL devices to link to the app in the stores to download.
Victims of domestic and family violence can also seek advice and services by contacting 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) or visiting: https://www.1800respect.org.au.
Reports of domestic and family-related crime or abuse can be made by contacting or attending your local police station. In an emergency or life-threatening situation, contact Triple Zero (000).
