Cherie Blair: Abuser pushed me down the stairs in court

The KC reveals her decades-long commitment to victims of domestic abuse as she backs our campaign with Refuge

- KATE GILL

Cherie Blair has opened up about how she was pushed down the stairs by a domestic abuser while representing his vulnerable victim.

The leading barrister said her attacker was out of control and clearly felt entirely justified in his attack on her, which took place when she was a young lawyer. In a deeply personal interview with The Independent, the wife of former prime minister Sir Tony Blair also described her guilt after a client was killed by her abusive partner because she returned home as she had nowhere else to go.

Recalling the attack on her, Ms Blair said: “As a young barrister when I was in court and we got the [restraining] order against the perpetrator, as I came out of court, he followed me and he pulled me down the stairs in the court. I had to be rescued by the court staff because he was so out of control. He believed he was entitled to behave in that way, he was perfectly prepared to attack me.” She added: “I’ve been in court when we’ve also seen judges being attacked.”

Ms Blair spoke out as she backed The Independent’s and Refuge charity Brick by Brick campaign which aims to raise £300,000 to build a safe house for domestic abuse survivors, and highlighted the desperate need for more refuges to be built. “I can always remember one client of mine who got relief from the court,” she said. “But afterwards, as I’m afraid happens, with nowhere else to go, she returned to the matrimonial home – she was killed by her partner.”