A mother-of-four has revealed how she was drugged and raped by her husband from the age of 15 – and only realised what he had done when she discovered she was pregnant.
Tina O’Brien, 54, from the West Midlands, first met her ex-partner Frederick Allchorne, 62, in 1984 when she moved into his family home as a lodger with her father.
A few months into living with Frederick, Tina’s father went away for work and left her with the Allchorne family.
Tina explained: ‘Frederick really intimidated me. He had a temper and was always getting into fights with his mates.’
During her father’s work trip, Frederick – who was 23 at the time – offered to make Tina a Pot Noodle while his mother was asleep in the next room.
Tina had two children with Frederick and left him when she was 21 years old – fleeing to a women’s refuge with their children
In June 2022, Allchorne pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, five counts of administering a stupefying or overpowering drug with intent, five counts of indecent assault on a woman over 16 and one count of bigamy
After accepting his offer, the 15-year-old blacked out and woke up struggling to remember anything.
She said: ‘I didn’t know what happened. After that, Frederick would make me a Pot Noodle on a regular basis and every time I’d lose consciousness.
‘When I woke up, my privates ached.’
Months later, Tina stopped getting her period and discovered she was pregnant after going to her GP.
She said: ‘I had no idea how I fell pregnant because I’d never had sex.’
Although Tina feared that Frederick was the father of her baby, she was too scared to question him.
Five months into her pregnancy, Frederick demanded Tina take some tablets that would make her feel ‘horny’.
When the 15-year-old refused, he then offered her a cup of tea instead.
Tina O’Brien, 54, from the West Midlands, pictured a few months after she welcomed her first child with Frederick Allchorne
Tina pictured with her daughter when she was 16 years old. She moved into Frederick’s family home with her father when she was 15
She said: ‘The tea tasted vile, like medicine. Next thing I knew, I woke up outside, slurring my words.
‘When I asked Frederick what had happened, he said I had a bad dream. I believed him.’
Tina gave birth to the couple’s daughter when she was 16 years old and the pair married six months later.
However, Frederick used the name ‘Ricky’ during the ceremony – insisting it was because he didn’t like his moniker.
After their marriage, Frederick continued drugging and raping Tina. In 1986, she was rushed to hospital after her tongue rolled back in her throat.
Doctors at St Helier Hospital confirmed that the mother’s symptoms were consistent with the effects of mind-altering drugs
‘I knew Frederick was responsible,’ Tina said. ‘But he tried to convince me that the blackouts were all in my head.’
Tina, now 53, pictured in March 2023. The mother-of-four says she was encouraged to go to police by a previous partner
Tina pictured at the age of 22 when she left Frederick. She went on to have two more children and it took her 30 years to get justice
When she was 18 years old, Tina broke into the bathroom cupboard that Frederick had always kept locked.
She added: ‘I found drugs, handcuffs and naked images of myself. I couldn’t believe it and flushed the drugs down the toilet.’
However, Frederick insisted that he had never done anything that Tina wouldn’t allow. The teenager was too scared to question him further.
The couple went on to have another child together and Frederick continued secretly drugging Tina.
But in September 1991, Tina – who was 21 – fled to a women’s refuge with their children when Frederick was out of the house.
The mother explained: ‘I contacted a solicitor to get a divorce.
‘They told me I wasn’t legally married to Frederick because he was already married to somebody else. I couldn’t believe it.’
A few years later, Tina was encouraged to go to the police after confiding in a new partner about the abuse she had endured.
However, the first officer she spoke with insisted there wasn’t enough evidence and couldn’t take her case further.
For five years, Tina fought in court to prevent Allchorne from seeing their children.
When Tina first went to police, she was told there wasn’t enough evidence to charge Frederick for the crimes
Tina pictured at the age of 17 when she was being abused by the man she thought was her husband
In 2009, Tina – who 40 by this point – was called to be a witness against Frederick, who had been accused of abusing children.
She continued: ‘An officer visited me to take my statement and I confessed everything Frederick had done to me.
‘But he said nothing could be done. I felt used and angry that I wasn’t getting justice.’
Despite her best efforts to move on, Tina found herself suffering from extreme panic attacks.
In August 2018, she referred herself to a rape crisis centre, and her therapist helped her contact the police once again. Frederick was arrested but denied all the charges.
However in June 2022, Allchorne pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, five counts of administering a stupefying or overpowering drug with intent, five counts of indecent assault on a woman over 16 and one count of bigamy.
In February this year, he was sentenced to 22 years in prison at Croydon Crown Court.
Tina said: ‘Now, I’m hoping to rebuild my life. If you’ve been abused, don’t suffer in silence.
“My voice has been heard and so will yours. Frederick’s abuse has blighted my entire life.
‘I’d like other survivors to know that it doesn’t matter much time has passed, you can still get justice.’
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