Imagine losing everything in the blink of an eye – your home, your partner, your sense of security – only to be threatened with losing even more. This is the harrowing reality Francesca Onody faced when her abusive husband, Malcolm Baker, set their cottage ablaze as police arrived to arrest him in the late summer of 2022. She and her children narrowly escaped moments before the explosion that took Baker’s life. But the nightmare didn’t end there. And this is the part most people miss – the financial and legal battles that followed left Onody fighting for the little she had left, even as she grieved and tried to rebuild.
That fateful night, Onody lost her husband, her home, her pets, and her possessions. But the devastation didn’t stop with the flames. Shortly before his death, Baker had emptied their joint bank accounts, canceled her mortgage protection, and voided their buildings insurance. Three years later, she faced the threat of losing the land around her destroyed home – the only thing she had left – as Halifax, the mortgage lender, sought to repossess it to cover £35,000 in mortgage arrears and other charges that had piled up since Baker’s death. Onody and her children had been living in a caravan on that land ever since the fire, scraping by with no heating or piped water.
‘It feels like my world has imploded all over again,’ Onody told Guardian Money in June last year. ‘I watched my home burn to the ground. I’ve fought to provide a roof over my children’s heads, and now Halifax wants to take away the very ground we stand on.’
But here’s where it gets controversial – after Guardian Money intervened, Halifax halted the repossession proceedings, canceled the accrued interest and fees, and allowed Onody to pay off the mortgage and take possession of the land. Was this a victory, or does it highlight how much harder survivors of abuse have to fight for justice?
Onody’s ordeal sheds light on the legal and financial minefield survivors of domestic abuse often navigate long after their relationships end. In the years since Baker’s death, she’s had to challenge his will, which left her nothing, battle banks and insurers, and fund legal representation for his inquest. Red tape at the Probate Office and Land Registry left her in legal limbo for months. Worse still, she faced the possibility of being blamed for Baker’s death when the Home Office launched a domestic homicide review to determine if he was the victim of abuse. The Home Office later apologized, acknowledging Baker as the perpetrator and admitting the investigation had ‘continued the dynamics of abuse’ she endured during their 18-year marriage.
‘My husband’s abuse was designed to outlive him,’ Onody says. ‘The lack of support from institutions has only prolonged my fear and suffering.’
Her nightmare began long before the explosion. Baker, a retired Metropolitan police superintendent, had become mentally unstable and abusive after leaving the force in 2011. His heavy drinking exacerbated the situation, and things escalated when Onody sought a divorce. ‘He became vindictive, threatening to destroy our lives,’ she recalls. ‘Once, he left a dead rabbit in my bed. We lived in constant fear, never knowing if he’d burn down our home while we slept.’
Baker began hoarding petrol canisters in their home, and Onody frequently called the police as his behavior grew more menacing. On the night of the fire, she dialed 999 after a confrontation. Baker barricaded himself upstairs as officers arrived. Petrol began pouring through the ceiling, forcing Onody and her children to flee. The house exploded seconds later, trapping Baker inside.
Left with nothing, Onody and her children moved into a caravan beside the ruins. Since the property deeds and mortgage were in Baker’s name, she couldn’t sell the land or rebuild. It took her 28 months to contest his will under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act and become the estate’s personal representative. During this time, Halifax refused to discuss the mortgage with her, as she wasn’t named in probate.
When she finally took over the estate’s administration in February 2025, she discovered £34,700 in mortgage arrears and legal fees, along with a repossession order from Halifax. The bank initially agreed to let her remortgage the estate in her name, but last June, they withdrew the offer, demanding she pay the debt within two months or face repossession. That’s when she turned to Guardian Money for help.
‘I’m being punished for my husband’s actions,’ she said. ‘Halifax has become his proxy, continuing the financial abuse. If the mortgage were in my name, I could sell the land, pay off the debts, and build a secure future for my children.’
After Guardian Money intervened, Halifax suspended the repossession, transferred the mortgage into her name, and apologized for mishandling her case, compensating her £500. A Halifax spokesperson expressed sympathy, citing legal limitations due to Onody not being the mortgage holder or named in probate. They claimed to have paused legal action multiple times and provided financial support, including waiving interest and charges since Baker’s death.
But the question remains – should survivors like Onody have to rely on media intervention to get the support they need?
Onody is now the legal owner of the land and has paid off the mortgage. She hopes to sell it and start anew with her children. ‘It’s been an agonizing few years,’ she says, ‘but I’m hopeful for a happy ending.’
While the Financial Conduct Authority introduced the Consumer Duty in 2023 to better support vulnerable customers, charities like Surviving Economic Abuse argue that victims like Onody are still falling through the cracks. ‘This story is heartbreaking but sadly common,’ says CEO Sam Smethers. ‘Abusers exploit every tool – from insurance to joint mortgages – to maintain control. Financial institutions have improved, but there’s still a long way to go.’
What do you think? Are financial institutions doing enough to support survivors of economic abuse? Or is the system still failing those who need it most? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
