best for REAL LIFE
Nick Gazzard’s youngest daughter, Hollie, was murdered by her abusive ex in February 2014…
A few moments after dialling my daughter’s number, I was relieved to hear her cheery voice at the other end of the line.
‘I’m OK, Dad,’ she reassured me. ‘See you tonight.’ I sighed with relief and hung up. Hollie, 20, the youngest of my two daughters had split up with her boyfriend four days earlier. He was abusive and while relieved she had finally seen fit to get rid of him – we had reported his behaviour to the police.
Hollie worked in a hairdressers near our family home in Gloucester. I was relieved she sounded OK. And relieved Asher Maslin, then 22, hadn’t been in touch. Little did I know…
Born on 24 July 1993, Hollie was a ray of light. Her sister, Chloe – three years older – loved her to pieces. Typical sisters, either best friends or worst enemies depending on the day.
As she got older, Hollie was vivacious and had a large circle of friends. Everyone who met her loved her. Hollie was sporty. Horse riding, athletics, rugby, and judo were just a few of the after-school clubs I’d take her to. She loved fashion and experimenting with hair, too.
By September 2012, our bubbly girl had qualified as a hairdresser, got a job in a local salon, and had built up an extensive client list.
As time went on, she decided to take her skills around the world and applied to work on a spa aboard a cruise ship that travelled from the US to the Caribbean. Successful in her application, she got a second job in a bar to earn some spending money.
But before she was due to go on the trip, she met Asher, working at the bar.
Their relationship seemed to move quickly, with him constantly sending her texts and calling her. Hollie introduced us to him two weeks before she was due to start her training in London for the cruise. I could tell there was something off. He didn’t have a job – but he had the gift of the gab.
Hollie’s mum, Amanda, and I weren’t overly worried – she was about to set off on her big adventure.
Within a few days of her leaving, Hollie called us saying she was homesick and planned to come back. She was only 19, what can you do? I hated the idea of my daughter being unhappy so we got her a flight.
No sooner was she home, she decided to move to London to restart her hairdressing career and moved into Maslin’s cousin’s flat. Her and Asher lived together.
Me and her mum w
