Woman buried alive by fiance describes how she escaped

Stacey Gwilliam was forced to crawl out of a shallow grave after being throttled and buried

Stacey Gwilliam was put into a 26 day induced coma following the attack (Good Morning Britain)

A woman who was strangled and buried alive by her former fiance has spoken of her fear that he may get out on parole.

Stacey Gwilliam was forced to crawl out of a shallow grave after being beaten, throttled and buried under foliage by Keith Hughes following a row.

The 39-year-old bodybuilder was handed a life sentence for attempted murder at Swansea Crown Court in December last year for the attack but is eligible for parole in just eight and a half years.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, the 34-year-old said she was frightened about what would happened when Hughes left prison, but was now in a “stronger place”.

She said: "I feel frightened. But I'm going to be in a stronger place because I've got a lot of support.

"I do have hope for the future and it's down to the support of family, friends.

"If it wasn't for them I couldn't have done this alone, but they've all been there for me."

Ms Gwilliam described coming round and realising she was trapped underneath the pile of dirt and foliage on a beach in Caswell Bay, South Wales where she and Hughes had fought.

She could hear her “heart beating” and “the sound of the sea in the background”.

She said: "It was like everything was in slow motion. All I could see were blurs of green and brown.

"I couldn't breathe, I couldn't move. It was like I was paralysed.

"I tried to get up, but couldn't. I had to use my nails. That was all I could do. I tried to push but I didn't have the upper strength."

When she eventually managed to pull herself to safety, she collapsed in front of a nearby golf club.

She was rushed to hospital and put in an induced coma for 26 days to recover from the attack.

As well as suffering from flashbacks and panic attacks Ms Gwilliam still uses a stick to walk.

Hughes had previously been given a three and a half year sentence for attacking her in 2013, but they had got back together after he was released on parole.

Ms Gwilliam, who had undergone treatment for ovarian cancer while he was in prison, said she had taken him back because she loved him.

One in four women and one in six men will experience domestic abuse in their lifetimes (Rex Features) (Rex)

She broke up with him for a second time the weekend before the attack after he kicked her in the stomach and stole money from her bank account.

He had asked her to go for a walk with him to repair their relationship, but when she had refused to resume the relationship he had become violent.

According to the Office for National Statistics, two women are killed by their current or former partners every week in England and Wales.

One in four women and one in six men will experience domestic violence at some point in their lifetime.