Warning: This article contains details and references to suicide and abusive behaviour
A man subjected his partner to an “appalling” catalogue of abuse, including beating and abusive messages, which the judge said was “one of the worst” cases of coercive control the court had seen.
John Gizzi, 55, from St Asaph, Denbighshire, was jailed for four years and 11 months after pleading guilty to coercive and controlling behaviour towards Natasha Farah, 32, and for intentional strangulation of her sister.
There were shouts of “scumbag” and “rot in hell” from the public gallery towards Gizzi who appeared at the hearing via video link from prison.
Farah’s mother said she would campaign in her daughter’s name for sentences around coercive and controlling behaviour to be longer.
At Mold Crown Court, some people called out that the sentence was too short, until they were asked to be quiet by a court usher.
The court heard that a catalogue of physical and verbal abuse of Farah by Gizzi was unearthed after she made a suspected suicide attempt that left her with severe brain damage.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Mills said Farah and her family and friends had faced an “appalling tragedy” and said the case of coercive control was one of the worst the court had seen, telling Gizzi he had subjected her to “appalling” behaviour.
Judge Mills said Gizzi had used “dreadful misogynistic language” towards Farah which was “part of the process of humiliation” and “destroying” her self worth.
Farah’s mother, wearing a T-shirt saying Justice for Natasha, read a lengthy victim impact statement, saying she wanted to detail the “sheer devastating” impact Gizzi’s behaviour had had and the “pain, grief, anger, torture” he had inflicted.
She described her daughter as “the most beautiful, funniest, kindest soul in the world” and told Gizzi, who was appearing by video link, that he was a “smiling devil monster”.
Judge Mills said Natasha was often seen to have bruises, and was once assaulted by Gizzi with a dumbbell.
“You would accuse her of sleeping with other men… assaulted her frequently… sometimes in front of other people… you assaulted her in front of her child,” he said.
The judge also said Gizzi had assaulted her on Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.
“She would plead with you to desist,” he added.