Man jailed for 'appalling' catalogue of coercive control and abuse against partner

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.