A former prostitute has criticised the jail sentence imposed on a client who hit her over the head 13 times with a rolling pin.

Mother of two Linda Denham, 33, of Greenstead, Colchester, said today (Friday) Douglas Stiff should have beeen jailed for six years.

He was given a 30-month sentence on Wednesday after admitting grievous bodily harm with intent. His denial of a charge of attempted murder was accepted by the prosecution.

Miss Denham was working as a prostitute in Ipswich and had been seeing recently-widowed Mr Stiff for 17 months.

During that time she slept with him seven times and was paid a total of £25,000, mainly for being an escort.

Miss Denham said: "He was quiet and after a while talked to me".

But on November 13 he attacked her two weeks after she told him she was going to give up prostitution.

Miss Denham's partner, unemployed security guard Lionel Small, had become concerned that Mr Stiff was being too possessive.

Miss Denham, who started working the streets in Birmingham when she was 17, said "prostitution was a way of life for me". She added: "He was one of the most normal customers I've met - and he turned out to be the worst".

She said she is still deeply affected by the attack, is scared to go out on her own, has a metal plate in her elbow and scars and bumps on her head.

Her eight-year-old son found her immediately after the battering, when Stiff dropped her off at home. Her partner called an ambulance.

Miss Denham admitted she would not like to see her 14-year-old daughter slipping into prostitution.

Miss Denham said: "I don't think I'll ever go back to that sort of work. The business is OK, there's a market there. But you are at risk."

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