Narcissist who stamped on ex-girlfriend’s neck in sickening rampage given just four years in jail
A NARCISSIST who strangled and stamped on his girlfriend’s neck in a sickening rampage will face just four years in jail – despite a judge’s fears he could go on to kill.
Gavin Anstey, 37, also held broken glass to her eye in November last year.
A court heard scaffolder Anstey, who was jailed in 2008 for causing the deaths of two young women by dangerous driving, has a history of attacking his partners.
In a powerful victim impact statement, the woman, who was left with lasting injuries and PTSD, said: “During the incident, Gavin would attack me, I’d catch my breath, and then he’d start another attack. It went from room to room as he threw me around my flat.
“The attack lasted for so long, and I didn’t have access to my phone because it went flying, that I had no way out.
“After the assault my whole body was painful and bruised. He had scrunched up my eye and held glass to it so I thought he was going to go for my eye with it.
“He had stamped on my neck with such force I couldn’t breathe and had no way out. He strangled me to the point where my family flashed before my eyes.”
She bravely described Anstey as a narcissist who was incapable of feeling any remorse and empathy towards others.
The thug, from Worthing, West Sussex, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm, non-fatal strangulation and criminal damage at Hove Crown court.
During the attack, Anstey raged: “I will happily go down for twenty years to kill you.”
But despite his brutality, Judge Christine Henson jailed him for just four years on Wednesday with an extended year on licence – the maximum allowed by law.
He will serve at least two thirds of the four years in custody.
Judge Henson said Anstey posed a serious risk of reoffending and was a high risk of causing serious harm or death to future partners.
She said: “It is clear you have acute difficulty in conducting yourself in an intimate relationship.
“I’m in no doubt you pose a serious risk of harm to others.”
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.