- Published
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.
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court → publish → control
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.
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Gizzi → jail → 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.
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who → be → prison
Farah's mother said she would campaign in her daughter's name for sentences around coercive and controlling behaviour to be longer.
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sentences → say → behaviour
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.
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they → call → 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.
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that → hear → 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.
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he → say → 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.
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which → say → 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.
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he → wear → impact
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".
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he → describe → link
Judge Mills said Natasha was often seen to have bruises, and was once assaulted by Gizzi with a dumbbell.
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Natasha → say → 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.
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he → accuse → child
The judge also said Gizzi had assaulted her on Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.
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Gizzi → say → Day
"She would plead with you to desist," he added.
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he → plead → you
He added that a domestic abuse protection order that had been sought did not go ahead because Natasha had asked the magistrates not to proceed, and she "had a note which appeared to tell her what to say".
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which → add → what
He said that when Farah's sister Samantha had challenged Gizzi, his response had been violent.
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response → say → Gizzi
"You gripped her neck with your hands, she fell to floor... there were marks on her neck."
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she → grip → neck
Earlier the court heard further details of what had happened prior to 7 April when Farah was found having attempted suicide at her flat in Rhos on Sea by Gizzi, who phoned the emergency services.
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who → hear → services
Elen Owen, prosecuting, the told the court it was not the Crown's case that Gizzi was responsible, but the discovery of Farah led to an investigation that unearthed a catalogue of physical and verbal abuse of her by Gizzi.
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that → prosecute → Gizzi
Owen outlined a long list of attacks and abuse inflicted by Gizzi on Farah between March 2025 and April 2026.
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Owen → outline → March
It included an attack on her at a gym the pair used when she arrived to ask for some keys, which Gizzi threw at her and hit her in the face.
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Gizzi → include → face
Another man stepped in to protect her.
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man → step → her
Farah told a friend of a second physical assault at the same gym.
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Farah → tell → gym
He repeatedly followed her, attacked her in her car and left countless messages using abusive language.
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He → follow → language
In September 2025, Farah was found after another apparent suicide attempt, and a call to the emergency services recorded Gizzi physically and verbally abusing Farah's mother, Denise.
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Gizzi → find → mother
The police were informed but Denise later withdrew the complaint.
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Denise → inform → complaint
Some of his abuse was caught on public CCTV cameras, and following one such incident in January 2025, Gizzi was arrested.
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Gizzi → catch → January
Police tried to get a domestic protection order but Farah decided not to co-operate and magistrates declined to make the order.
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magistrates → try → order
Her sister Samantha witnessed repeated abuse and was herself attacked by Gizzi at a pub in Colwyn Bay - that led to a charge of strangulation, one of three Gizzi pleaded guilty to at a hearing last month.
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Gizzi → witness → hearing
The former drug gang boss also pleaded guilty to refusing to give police the pin so they could access his phone.
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they → plead → phone
Messages found on it included a stream of abuse and messages from Farah saying he had made her feel "worthless" and had "broken" and "crushed" her.
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her → find → her
Referring to the assaults on Boxing Day and Valentine's Day, Farah told Gizzi: "I don't have one good memory with you".
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I → refer → you
He responded with an abusive message.
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He → respond → message
In a message where she referred to him kicking her leg, he replied: "I couldn't reach your face".
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I → refer → face
Judge Mills told the court that he must recognise the events of 7 April that had left Farah "in an unresponsive state with serious brain damage" but said there was no offence in the indictment making Gizzi directly responsible.
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Gizzi → tell → indictment
He added that he had "no doubt" that if "circumstances were to change or further evidence came to light" that would be investigated by North Wales Police but it was "not a matter for today".
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it → add → today
The judge told Gizzi he was "never going to be forgiven for what people believe you did to her" and said that would "follow" him through his life.
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that → tell → life
He added, to applause from the public gallery, that people who had been afraid of him "were no longer".
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who → add → him
Outside court, friends and family of Farah gathered to express their anger at Gizzi's sentence, with her mother Denise saying she would continue to campaign in her daughter's name for sentences around coercive and controlling behaviour to be longer.
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sentences → gather → behaviour
She described violence against women and girls as an "epidemic".
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She → describe → epidemic
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
