In an impact statement read on her behalf, the victim said the attack destroyed her life as she believed she was taking her last breath.

“I am a shell,” it said.

“Constantly nervous and scared of my own shadow.”

The victim said the ongoing injuries have affected her daily life as it is a “struggle to look in the mirror because of the injuries”.

“I feel like I’m not myself anymore,” she added, saying that “simple tasks like folding sheets are a struggle” and that her partner now has to help her dress and do her hair.

She said she can no longer sleep in the same room where the attack took place

“My whole life was destroyed by one person in one night,” she added.

“I know what happened will continue to haunt me for the rest of my life.”