I was married to my daughters Mother for just over 4years,we were married very quickly after meeting each other,like after 8 weeks!!We have a daughter T who is just turned 3 years old and up until about 4 months ago I saw her 3-4 times a weeks and most weekends and things were fine. Me and my ex-wife who she is now(divorced in Jan this year) agreed contact arrangements and even though sometimes we wouldn't actually talk to each other she made sure that I saw my daughter regularly.

So all was o.k until December last year when on one of my visits which weren't at a centre at the time,my ex said to me that she had got back together with her Sons' Father who she was with before we even met.She had told me a lot about this man and his violence towards her and trouble with the police and suffering from manic depression also. That's when I said to my ex I dont want someone like that around my daughter,and from then on is when it went down the court route. She said she was going to make big trouble for me and if I wanted to see my daughter then I would have to take her to court.

I made an application to the Court in December last year,and I got a place at the contact centre also,I had been on a waiting list since June 2005 because me and my ex went through a difficult time,and everytime there was a problem she knew how to hurt me,by stopping me from seeing my daughter.So I got a place at the centre in December 2005,a good job I stayed on the waiting list,my ex was surprised at how fast I got a place,she didnt know I'd been on the waiting list at all.My ex would bring my daughter to the Centre but my daughter became very upset and distressed at the centre. In Jan 2005 the court ordered that I could see my daughter alternate Tuesdays,Thursdays and alternate Saturdays which would be at the centre,the other times would be at McDonalds.My ex went to one meeting at Mcdonalds,said to my daughter 'I'll collect you later',my daughter said you come in too Mummy,and my ex replied,'I have better things to do',my daughter started to cry and I said to my ex,take her home I dont want her upset.So they went.In the next 5 mins I walked past my ex,who was with her new partner who was pushing my daughter down the road in her buggy,that really stung when I saw that,but I bit my tongue and carried on walking. My ex stopped all visits to Mcdonalds after that and so I took her back to court yet again. In Feb 2006 it was said in court that I would only be able to see my daughter at the centre once a fortnight for two hours.I accepted this,didnt really have a choice in the matter.I would go to the centre but 3 visits in a row I couldnt see my daughter cos they said she was too upset.Finally in April,I got to see my daughter and spent about twenty minutes with her at the centre,she now calls me Tim,whereas 4 months ago it was Daddy and nothing else,she calls my ex's partner her Daddy J,which hurt a lot but I was happy just to be able to see her. My ex thought she was clever in a way cos this visit took place a week before we was back in court for a review hearing.I had an appointment with CAFCASS just before the hearing,sorry I forgot to mention that at the hearing before that,CAFCASS reports were ordered to be done. The meeting went ok,and the officer seemed concerned about my ex's partner and his violent history. I have an observed visit coming up which I'm not looking forward to,because I've been saying all along that my ex and her partner have been coaching my daughter to be put of contact and seeing me.Then on the last visit just gone,the supervisor said to my daughter,'Do you want Tim to sit with you to do some colouring',which I had done on the last visit. My daughter said,'Mummy said I'm not allowed to sit with him',my ex wasnt in the room at the time,but the supervisor heard it loud and clear and looked at me as if to say,'Did I hear that right'.I did get to see my daughter then as I gave her some easter presents and the supervisor said,'Look what Daddys got for you'I was referred to as Daddy this time,my daughter walked straight up to me took the presents,said'Thank you'she turned and walked off with the supervisor,she then turned and waved to me,and she was all pleased with her presents.Again her Mother was not in the room at this time.It seems that my daughter seems ok when her Mum isn't in the room,and when she is it's like she doesnt want to see me because her Mum has told her not to.

The supervisor at the Centre said what my daughter said has been noted and they will be forwarding the information to the Cafcass officer dealing with the case. I feel that some progress has been made because my ex has now been exposed as coaching my daughter,she has already lied to the court about money I sent for my daughter,and proved to be lying,she's broken 2 court orders,was 2 hrs late for court on the last occassion saying she got the wrong day and is frequently late at the Centre. That's just a brief outline of what is happening regarding my case,but it's true that the truth will come out in the end,it might take time but it always does. I've been straight the whole way through,I have nothing to hide,I've told the truth,I'm not a saint admittedly and all I want is to be a proper Father to my daughter,which until four months ago I was just that...