Until I Kill You: Delia Balmer's chilling recollection of John Sweeney attack

Until I Kill You is based on Delia Balmer's memoir titled Living With A Serial Killer.

Until I Kill You is airing on ITV and the series is based on the true story of how Delia Balmer survived an almost-fatal attack by axe murderer John Sweeney.

The former agency nurse had met Sweeney at a pub and at first, nothing came of it, but after bumping into one another on the street, Delia decided to get in contact with him.

He quickly moved himself into Delia's London home and it was not long before his true identity started to become apparent. He tortured Delia and held her hostage in her own home on more than one occasion.

Sweeney even ended up confessing to Delia how he had murdered his ex-girlfriend, Melissa Halstead and had cut her body up and disposed of it in a canal. Delia recalled the night Sweeney attacked her with an axe outside her home, during which she almost lost her life.

She spoke of the December 1994 attack: "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.”

Delia said once she had started to see Sweeney's violent side she wanted to get rid of him, but he continued to harass her.

Expanding on the night of the near-fatal attack, she added: "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.

“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’.”

Sweeney murdered his second victim, Paula Fields, during his six years on the run following the attack on Delia.

Ten of her body parts were found in six holdalls in the Regent's Canal near King's Cross in February 2001.

Sweeney was finally arrested six years later after the discovery of Paula's remains. He is currently serving life in prison.

Now, at 74, Delia is still impacted by the attack and says "I remain an angry person".

Describing what her life looks like now, Delia added: "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.

"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