My ‘friend’ raped me as I was having an epileptic seizure… I made frantic call for help but woke to him on top of me
WAKING groggily from a seizure, Kerry Tadgell, 35, from Kent, felt like she was trapped in a horrifying bubble. She wanted to scream but couldn’t.
The mum-of-two, who suffers from epilepsy, was still recovering, unable to speak and with no energy.
Sickeningly, instead of putting her in the recovery position, her ‘friend’ Mark Anderson, 42, was raping her.
After he attacked her he sent her abusive texts stating he hoped she’d have “another fit and die”.
Now he’s been jailed for eight years and Kerry, speaking exclusively to Fabulous, has bravely waived her anonymity to raise awareness for sexual assault survivors.
Hurt in the worst way imaginable
Kerry says: “That day, as I lost control of my body, Mark hurt me in the worst way imaginable.
“Now as he rots in prison I’m slowly taking back that control.
“I want other women out there to come forward, even if they think they won’t be believed. It was just Mark and I there that day so I didn’t think I stood a chance.
“But I got justice and so can you.”
Until 2019 Kerry was living a normal life as a single mum to two girls, 10 and 16, and worked as a nurse in palliative care.
But in January 2020, then aged 30, her world flipped upside down when her face suddenly drooped and she blanked out.
Kerry says: “Initially, I thought it was tiredness as I’d been really overworked.
“But I blacked out again at work in front of staff and was taken to hospital one day.
“That’s when a neurologist told me I’d had a seizure.
“I was diagnosed with hemiplegic migraines and epilepsy. The room around me spun. My world stood still. I burst into tears. I just couldn’t believe it.
“I’d been healthy all my life. I was heartbroken.”
Hemiplegic migraines, a rare type of migraines, cause weakness on one side of the body.
From then on, Kerry was very poorly and suffered with seizures every week.
Her sister Amy Tadgell, 31, became her carer and Kerry and her children moved into her home.
Kerry says: “Moments before I’d have a seizure, I’d feel cold. Then, I’d smell a strong scent of nail varnish, and my speech would go quiet and slur.
“I’d feel my face flicker and shake, before being sick. Then I’d wake up in a different place.
“Amy helped me get dressed, gave me my meds and helped with my kids.
“When I had seizures, she’d put me into recovery positions, lift me into a safe place and take care of me.
“I was in and out of hospital constantly. I lost everything when my health was robbed from me.”
What is epilepsy?
ONE in every 100 Brits are affected by epilepsy – and over half a million people in the UK have been diagnosed.
It’s a condition of the brain which can disrupt the electrical communication between neurons in the nervous system.
This often leads to seizures, a sudden event that can change a person’s awareness, behaviour or feeling.
The condition is typically diagnosed when a person has two or more unprovoked seizures separated by at least 24 hours.
Epilepsy can begin at any age, but it tends to affect people either in early childhood or who are older than 60.
A number of different triggers can cause epilepsy.
These can be human factors, including sleep deprivation, alcohol or drug abuse or not eating well.
Stress, hormonal changes or the use of certain medications can also cause epilepsy.
Around three per cent of incidences are triggered by flashing bright lights or patterns, which is known as photosensitive epilepsy.
The effects of epilepsy are most visible when a sufferer experiences a seizure.
Seizures vary in severity and can be partial or generalised. People with epilepsy can battle these episodes when they’re awake or asleep.
The NHS reveals the main symptoms of partial seizures, which include:
- a general strange feeling that is hard to describe
- a “rising” feeling in your tummy – sometimes likened to the sensation in your stomach when on a fairground ride
- an intense feeling that events have happened before (déjà vu)
- experiencing an unusual smell or taste
- a tingling sensation, or “pins and needles”, in your arms and legs
- a sudden intense feeling of fear or joy
- stiffness or twitching in part of the body, such as an arm or hand
The NHS warns that these signs could be early warnings that another type of fit is imminent.
Complex partial seizures are also signs of epilepsy, as they cause your sense of awareness and memory to become distorted.
Symptoms can include:
- smacking your lips
- rubbing your hands
- making random noises
- moving your arms around
- picking at clothes
- fiddling with objects
- adopting an unusual posture
- chewing or swallowing
For more information visit https://epilepsysociety.org.uk/ or https://www.epilepsy.org.uk/
Over the next three years, Kerry’s illness was debilitating, and she continually woke up in different places. Sometimes the seizures would last for up to five minutes.
Unable to work, she filled her time with visiting family on the days she was well enough.
In May 2023, Kerry’s aunt and cousin introduced her to their close friend, Mark, who lived across the road from them.
Kerry says: “Mark was very popular in the neighbourhood, and close with my cousin and aunt.
“He was kind and bubbly. Over the next few months, whenever I went round, Mark would always be there.”
In August that year, Kerry visited her family again but Mark, who was unemployed, was the only one home.
Kerry says: “That afternoon, in front of Mark, I started to feel unwell. My vision went weird, and I wanted to lay down.
“The next thing I remember was Mark leading me across the street to his house.
“I felt freezing cold. Mark laid me onto the bed and I got more groggy. I started smelling nail varnish, and I knew a seizure was coming on.
“I heard Mark shout that I shouldn’t have my clothes on. Then, everything went black.”
He yelled: ‘Be still, be a good girl.’
Kerry Tudgell
“When I next came around, I looked up and saw Mark on top of me. He was raping me.
“He yelled: ‘Be still, be a good girl.’
“I wanted to scream, but I had no energy and couldn’t speak. I realised he’d attacked me as I was having the seizure.
“When Mark leapt off me I saw he’d stripped all my clothes off.
“He left the room to run me a hot bath. I refused and he then began forcing me to eat toast he’d cut up in squares but I couldn’t eat. I was terrified to leave.”
Shortly after, Mark led Kerry, who was still hazy and confused, onto the pavement outside.
Post-seizure horror
Kerry says: “I could barely speak and was having tics and stutters. I whispered to Mark asking what happened.
“He started calling me a really offensive name and a dirty b****. He said I’d jumped on top of him whilst having the seizure.
“I knew it wasn’t right as I would’ve been violently shaking on the ground.
“He was getting angrier by the minute and I got really scared. Still on the road, I legged it as fast as I could. Mark didn’t chase me, but was swearing and shouting.
“I ran for my life.”
Kerry lost Mark and called her family for help.
Shortly after, she received vile texts from him that read ‘I hope you have another fit and die,’ that her body was ‘horrible and nothing special’ and that he can’t wait to hear she has died.
But he didn’t stop…
Kerry says: “His texts were horrid. I couldn’t believe it.
“When I called Amy, she said Mark rang her during my seizure, and he’d asked for help on what to do. Amy told him how to put me into the recovery position.
“I told her he raped me and she went mental and rang the police.
“I met her, my cousin and numerous police cars down the street within the hour.
“I was driven to the police station whilst a team went into Mark’s house and arrested him.”
Support with rape and sexual assault
If you’ve been sexually assaulted it’s important to remember that it was not your fault. Sexual violence is a crime, no matter who commits it or where it happens. Don’t be afraid to get help.
There are services that can help if you’ve been sexually assaulted, raped or abused.
You don’t have to report the assault to the police if you don’t want to. You may need time to think about what has happened to you.
But you should get medical help for any injuries and because you may be at risk of pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections (STIs). If you want the crime to be investigated, it’s best to have a forensic medical examination as soon as possible.
Try not to wash or change your clothes immediately after a sexual assault. This may destroy forensic evidence that could be important if you decide to report the assault to the police (although you can still go to the police even if you have washed).
Where to get help
Sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) offer medical, practical and emotional support to anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted or abused. SARCs have specially trained doctors, nurses and support workers to care for you.
Other places you can get help include:
- a doctor or practice nurse at your GP surgery
- a voluntary organisation, such as Rape Crisis, Women’s Aid, Victim Support, The Survivors Trust or Male Survivors Partnership
- the 24-hour freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247
- the rape and sexual abuse support line run by Rape Crisis England and Wales – you can call the helpline on 0808 500 2222 or use the online chat (both are free and are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year)
- a hospital accident and emergency (A&E) department
- a genitourinary medicine (GUM) or sexual health clinic
- a contraceptive clinic
- a young people’s service
- call NHS 111 or get help from 111 online
- the police, or dial 101
- in an emergency, dial 999.
Justice served
In February 2024, Mark Anderson, 42, of Shafton Road, Hackney, was convicted of one count of rape against Kerry at Wood Green Crown Court. In April, he was sentenced to eight years.
Kerry says: “Lawyers in court tried to make out I was lying about my condition.
“But there were so many medical records from the GP and the hospitals.
“Now, it’s his turn to suffer in prison. But I have been looking over my shoulder, feeling suicidal at times.
“My lack of sleep and constant fear and anxiety brings my seizures on, the very thing that enabled him.
“When it happens, I worry I’ll wake up to Mark on me. I’m traumatised.
“I have since moved to a new home and am looking forward to a fresh start.”