Trigger warning: This post deals with suicide and themes of domestic abuse and may be triggering to some readers.
Breeana Robinson was a beautiful, happy 20-year-old cheerleader with her whole life ahead of her when she met 38-year-old Dan Shearin on Facebook.
The two formed a relationship and within months “Bree”, an aspiring dancer who was legally blind, had moved into a Gold Coast unit with the man who was 18 years her senior.
During their three-month relationship, Shearin reportedly bombarded Robinson with abusive text messages – allegedly more than 1400 over the period of a month.
The texts read: “You’re more interested in food, TV and everything else but your partner” and “That’s why everything’s ruined. Your priorities are f—ed up.”
Just minutes after receiving that final message, Bree fell to her death from the balcony of their 11th-floor Southport apartment.
Her family is convinced the 21-year-old did not commit suicide.
But they face the horrible possibility that they will never know exactly what happened that night.
Bree screamed “no” or “oh no” as she plunged towards the ground, neighbour Gina Hadid told A Current Affair last November.
Her husband, Buddy Hadid, said he saw Shearin after he ran to assist the fatally injured girl.
“We were trying to work out who she was and he just turned around and said, ‘Oh, that’s my girlfriend’,” Mr Hadid said.
Top Comments
This reminds me of the man I had a relationship with last year. He initially baited me with his charismatic charm and then the insidious controlling behaviour gradually set in. I came to learn he was a very narcissistic person and myself who is a kind empathetic person who listens to others to a fault, became his 'narcissistic supply' of the feel good love that he lacked within himself. When I didn't comply or otherwise provide that supply, he became a raging monster.
Those text messages Shearin sent Bree haunt me as they sound as evil as the ones my ex used to send me. Fortunately, I got out after a year as he assaulted me in a very public place with the police standing nearby.
It was a very 'sticky' relationship and so hard to get out of otherwise due to the threats he made when his 'supply' was threatened. He is now up against charges for what he did to me. I hope that my experiences and actions by the authorities will help make things easier for women to stay safe from the clutches of these weak, evil men in the future.
This disturbs me to no end! My sister is in a relationship with a man who talks down to her, belittles her and harrasses her, but he does it to her face, not on text message. I have spent the last 2 years being there for her, however, I just can't seem to make her understand that this is his problem not hers, but I'm afraid the damage to her self esteem is already there and she is unwilling to make a break from him - and now they have a 10 month old child together, so he'll never be out of her life. It keeps me up at night! She was a vibrant, strong, independant woman but she is reluctant to leave him and be "on her own" again. What do I do? She won't get help and when she did get help from counsellors, they were helping her work "through" the issue, instead of giving her the tools to leave him! What a fucking joke!!!
I can't tell you how sorry I am to hear this :( I know too well being kept awake at night hoping your sister is ok (though for different reasons to yours). Perhaps contact 1800Respect (https://www.1800respect.org... or other domestic violence organisations for some guidance, and to help you cope with what is going on. We often pour so much time into worrying about our loved ones that we forget to look after ourselves. I really hope everything works out ok for you all xo