A Sydney socialite has tearfully told of the night her pub baron ex-boyfriend threw a cigarette lighter at her head, leaving her bloodied and crying on the floor.
Janelle ‘Nellie’ Tilley, 52, broke down in the Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday as she read out a victim impact statement about her volatile relationship with millionaire Phillip De Angelis, 38.
Ms Tilley, a mother-of-three and top interior designer, told the court she would never forget seeing her younger lover’s ‘enraged face’ after he hit threw the lighter at her on the night of September 14, 2016.
Janelle ‘Nellie’ Tilley (pictured) leaves Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday after reading a victim impact statement detailing her abusive relationship with ex-lover Phillip De Angelis
Ms Tilley tearfully told of the night her pub baron ex-boyfriend De Angelis (pictured) threw a cigarette lighter at her head in September 2016, leaving her bloodied and crying on the floor
‘That night I experienced unwanted violence from a man whose anger and violence was unpredictable, fast and terrifying,’ Ms Tilley said.
‘Seeing his enraged face is one thing I’ll never forget. I don’t even remember seeing the lighter come flying at me.
‘It struck on my forehead above my right eye. I felt warm liquid drop down my face and into my eyes.
‘(My first reaction) was relief it was over. I had bled, he had won and I felt lower than ever before.’
Through tears the socialite court how her biggest initial concern was calming down De Angelis, afraid he would attack again.
Only then did she turn her attention to stemming the bleeding from her cut, using a combination of tissues and a baseball cap to apply pressure.
‘That night my first response was not for myself… but to use my pain and injuries as a way to calm him down,’ she said.
‘I have a permanent scar of this incident… a permanent reminder of what I went through.
De Angelis (left) and Ms Tilley (right) were involved in a relationship from late-2015 through to early-2017
Through tears Ms Tilley (pictured) told the court how her biggest initial concern was calming down De Angelis, afraid he would attack again
De Angelis walks out of the Downing Centre alone, but was joined in court by his parents Arch and Robyn, brothers Marc and Peter, and their partners
‘Today is a rare moment where I have shared my feelings publicly.’
With no photos of the socialite’s scar on the court file, she was forced to remove her makeup and show the injury to the judge inside the court.
Ms Tilley told the court she was a strong, happy and vibrant person until her volatile relationship with De Angelis, which left her feeling ‘disgust’ for herself.
Flanked by his family, De Angelis showed little emotion as his former lover read out her statement.
Dressed in a stylish black suit he sat alongside his parents Arch and Robyn, while older brother Peter sat a row behind.
Peter previously dated Sunrise co-host Samantha Armytage.
De Angelis is the nephew of venerable hotel magnate Arthur Laundy – Phil’s mother Robyn is Arthur’s sister – and the cousin of Bachelorette winner Stu Laundy.
In happier times, De Angelis and Tilley pose for a photo together while on holiday in Positano
‘Seeing his (De Angelis’) enraged face is one thing I’ll never forget. I don’t even remember seeing the lighter come flying at me,’ Ms Tilley (right) said
The pair were in an 18-month relationship before De Angelis was charged with assaulting Ms Tilley and an AVO was taken out against him
The couple was in a relationship for 18-months, before things soured in mid-2016.
De Angelis has pleaded guilty to two charges of common assault, a single count of reckless wounding and two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.
An apprehended violence order (AVO) remains in place preventing him from going near Ms Tilley.
The case will return to court for sentencing on November 30.
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