Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Dating-App Survivor Waives Anonymity to Warn Others as Jailed Ex Faces Parole in 2027

Her public testimony follows a 2019 jury verdict that sent Jason Smith to prison for 15 years.

Overview

  • Katie Yates, 42, says she met Jason Smith on the Plenty of Fish app in February 2018 and the relationship lasted around 10 months.
  • She reports escalating coercive control, repeated assaults and a December 2018 rape followed days later by an attempt to drown her in the bath.
  • Police arrested Smith after she sought help; he denied the allegations but a Newport Crown Court jury convicted him in 2019 of rape and two assault offences.
  • Smith received a 15-year sentence and a 10-year restraining order, with parole eligibility reported for 2027.
  • Yates says she continues to experience lasting trauma and has chosen to speak publicly to warn dating-app users about predatory behaviour.