Siri Helped Save a Woman’s Life During a Violent Attack: Here Are The iPhone Safety Features You Should Know About

Emma-Louise Kelly, 34, never imagined that the very smartphone she carried in her pocket would become her shield. But on January 11 2025, in Chorley, Lancashire, she found herself in a nightmare: assaulted by her partner, Lee Thomas, for over half an hour.

Slaps, punches, kicks, strangulation, verbal and sexual abuse – all unfolding in her own home.She was helpless. She was terrified. And yet, it was Siri who answered.

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“I thought I was going to die – I was desperate and helpless,” Emma-Louise told SWNS. “I was being punched, kicked, and abused. The whole time I was scared and all I could think about was my little girl. I was shouting for Alexa and Siri to call 999 and the police about ten minutes into it all. I didn’t speak to the operator over the phone but the police turned up at my house about 20 mins later and stopped it. They must have traced my phone number to the house. I’m so grateful for Siri for connecting to the police as if she didn’t I might not be here – she saved my life.”

Her story is wrenching – and it also flips the usual narrative around “smart tech” being frivolous or luxury.  By the time police arrived, Emma-Louise had been battered and broken. But she refused to stay silent. She says she has waived her statutory right to anonymity (which victims of sexual offences automatically hold in England and Wales) so others can hear her story and know technology might have their back too.

 

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“I know what happened to me wasn’t my fault. I think other women should read my story and hopefully find the strength to do the same, so that perpetrators can’t keep getting away with it,” she said.

Her life with Thomas had begun under more hopeful conditions. The two first met in 2022 at a drug recovery hub where Emma-Louise volunteered. “We hit off straight away,” she says. “He seemed like a nice guy taking steps to change his life for the better like I was.” In time their relationship became romantic – but behind the scenes, Thomas was slipping back into older, darker habits.

He secretly used drugs, revisited an ex, and eventually became entangled in a gang running class A substances through Accrington and Rossendale. Emma-Louise describes one voice note he sent her before a holiday: “The heroin had taken over, so he was going back to Rawtenstall to live with her.” She was confused – she assumed “taking over” meant relapse, not gang life. She forgave him time and again. In 2024, Thomas was jailed for conspiracy to supply crack, heroin, and MDMA.

 

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After his release in September, Emma-Louise believed he had changed. Christmas was quiet, the new year even nicer. Until January 11 – that night when love became terror. That evening after dinner, Thomas’s jealousy began to show. He threatened to glass her. “He was getting jealous of people speaking to me – men and women,” she said. “He threatened to glass me in the face – at that point, I thought, ‘this isn’t the man I know’.” He had never been physically violent before, so the switch felt terrifying.

Back at her home, the onslaught started: slap, punch, kick. It lasted approximately 35 minutes. He winded her, strangled her until she blacked out. When she came back, the violence resumed. The worst part, she says, was his calm cruelty – verbal assault woven between the physical damage. She also suffered sexual assault, and he repeatedly accused her of cheating.

Desperate, she shouted to Alexa and Siri: “Call the police.” It was Siri who made the connection. The iPhone initiated a silently recorded 999 call. “I didn’t speak to the operator, but they could hear everything. The operator was trying to hold it together, trying to be professional. When I listened back to the call recording at court, you can hear the operator saying, ‘Oh my god he’s going to kill her’.”

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Roughly 20 minutes later, officers burst through the front door (left unlocked), and Thomas was arrested on the spot. Her daughter was thankfully not present during the attack. Thomas pleaded guilty to assault by penetration and actual bodily harm, and in August 2025 was sentenced to nine years and four months at Preston Crown Court (six years, four months incarceration plus three years on extended licence). He must sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, and a lifetime restraining order was issued.

Emma-Louise relocated with her daughter and dog. She started a new job as a recovery practitioner, drawing on years of work with domestic abuse and drug recovery organisations. Ever the fighter, she wants her story to spark a shift. “I want to inspire other women, whether they’re in long, abusive relationships or one-off attacks, to know that justice can be served and that they don’t have to hide or be ashamed,” she said.

In the wake of Emma-Louise’s experience, many of us might wonder: how can Siri really help you? Here’s a tech-savvy breakdown:

How to Use Siri in an Emergency

• Activate your voice assistant – “Hey Siri, call 999” (or “call emergency services”).
• The iPhone begins a short countdown (usually five seconds), then places the call.
• You may not speak verbally with the operator, but the line is open and audio is relayed.
• In addition to voice, you can use text messages (where supported) or the iPhone / Apple Watch Emergency SOS features.
• On iPhone, under Settings > Emergency SOS, you can configure:
  • Call with Hold (hold volume + side buttons)
  • Call with 5 Presses (press the side button five times rapidly)
  • Emergency Contacts (add or remove people who’ll be notified when you use SOS)
• Even when the iPhone is locked, tap Emergency – then dial your local emergency number (e.g. 999 in the UK).
• On Apple Watch, hold the side button or press it repeatedly to start a countdown to call. You can turn off “Automatic Dialling” if you prefer manual control.

Voice assistants are not magic shields – but in a high-stress scenario where you can’t speak, they can make the difference between life and death.

Technology and Domestic Safety

Emma-Louise’s story is a harsh reminder that technology can be a lifeline. But to make sure it works for us, not against us, we need to be proactive:

1. Know your safety settings. Test your iPhone / Apple Watch emergency features – don’t wait until it’s too late.
2. Configure emergency contacts. Make sure trusted people receive alerts when SOS is triggered.
3. Stay savvy about privacy. Voice assistants send your location and call data through networks. Ensure your device is secured with passcodes, biometrics, and cautious app permissions.
4. Keep your device battery healthy and accessible. If your phone is dead or hidden, voice commands won’t help.
5. Combine tech with everyday planning. Safety gadgets, alarms, escape routes, and support networks still matter. Don’t let technology lull you into complacency.

Though Emma-Louise’s survival hinged on a prompt from Siri, we shouldn’t see tech as a silver bullet. It’s part of a toolkit – one that needs awareness, preparation, and courage to use.

Her choice to go public with her story is a brave gamble. She hopes others will find in it the strength she once needed: to speak, to escape, to demand justice. Because in the end, no one should live in fear – and maybe, just maybe, your phone won’t just be a connection to friends or playlists – it could be your shield.