Survivor Delia Balmer recalls her near-fatal encounter with axe murderer John Sweeney

The gripping true crime series 'Until I Kill You' is currently being broadcast on ITV, telling the harrowing tale of Delia Balmer's survival following a near-fatal assault by axe-wielding murderer John Sweeney.

Delia, a former agency nurse, initially met Sweeney in a pub and their acquaintance seemed unremarkable. However, after a chance encounter on the street, Delia reached out to him, which led to Sweeney swiftly moving into her London residence.

It wasn't long before his violent nature began to reveal itself, subjecting Delia to torture and holding her captive in her own home multiple times.

In a chilling confession, Sweeney admitted to Delia that he had killed his previous girlfriend, Melissa Halstead, dismembered her body, and disposed of it in a canal. Delia recounted the terrifying December 1994 incident when Sweeney attacked her with an axe right outside her home, an attack that nearly claimed her life.

Reflecting on that night, Delia described the traumatic experience: "The last thing I remember was seeing my finger fly through the air, I awoke in the Royal Free and all I wanted to do was die, I didn't want to live any more in this body, in anger and pain. I was in no condition to write. My nerve endings were raw, I had torn tendons, a broken arm, the slightest touch was sensitive."

Despite recognising Sweeney's propensity for violence and wanting to distance herself from him, Delia explained that he persisted in harassing her.

Recounting the horrific night, she recalled: "I was on the doorstep he had the axe over his head, I shut my eyes waiting for it to come down, then the neighbour's son hit him with a baseball bat and he ran off with the axe."

Reflecting on her ordeal and the subsequent investigation, she said: "When I gained consciousness this time the serious crime squad came, but it was a big joke. He was gone and in the meantime, Paula Fields was murdered. I remember reading about it in the paper and thinking 'sounds like something John would do'."

Following the assault on Delia, Sweeney vanished and during this period he killed Paula Fields, whose dismembered remains were eventually discovered in six bags in the Regent's Canal near King's Cross in February 2001.

Sweeney evaded capture for six years until he was arrested after Paula's body parts were found. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Today, at age 74, Delia confesses that the traumatic experience continues to affect her deeply, saying "I remain an angry person".

Delia described her current state, noting: "I am a perfectionist but my life is opposite of perfect. I often suffer from depression and anxiety, afraid of life and afraid of the future, a compulsive worrier."

She added poignantly, "When I look in the mirror I see a stranger. Certain physical pain, I will have for life. I am stuck. I cannot move on, and cannot go further. Fear holds me back from doing certain things."

Until I Kill You continues on ITV at 9pm