Army sniper who throttled girlfriend escapes jail after telling judge of horrors he witnessed in Afghanistan
A FORMER Army sniper who beat up and throttled his girlfriend in fits of rage has been freed after arguing he was mentally ill.
Junior Fordwor, 26 argued that he was haunted by what he had seen while serving in Afghanistan and was suffering from PTSD.
At Crown Court he admitted common assault, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and criminal damage, due to his abuse of 27-year-old cosmetics model Stephanie Render.
Fordwor was described as a "manipulative narcissist" and the court heard that, in a series of assaults, he beat and choked Ms Render several times.
In one instance, he pushed her to the floor after spotting she had liked another man's photo on Instagram, while in another he choked her unconscious and threatened to kill her.
He also trashed her kitchen and smashed her TV.
READ MORE NEWS
In a statement to police, Ms Render said: "Junior was my boyfriend for two years, it was on and off for a while and there was a lot of game playing but we finally got together after I transferred to Manchester.
"His narcissistic traits made me feel like I was always the problem. He lied to me a lot. I have to mention the love I had for Junior and I was heartbroken by the whole affair."
She added: "Now these days I still think about it, maybe not as much as before. Time is helping in the healing process.
"I have definitely changed since then and will never let anyone manipulate me like he did and I certainly won’t let anyone lay their hands on me like he did."
Most read in The Sun
However, Fordwor avoided prison after the judge accepted that he was suffering from PTSD from his time serving with the Royal Fusiliers.
Instead, he was given a 21-month suspended sentence and ordered to pay his ex £380 in compensation.
He was also ordered to complete 25 days of rehabilitation and 100 hours of unpaid work.
In mitigation, his lawyer Charlotte Atherton had told the court: "He has limited emotional maturity and difficulty with thinking skills.
"He had a traumatic childhood in which he lost his mother to drugs and his father to the prison system, who was dealing drugs. This led to him being put in the care of his grandmother, who used violence as a form of discipline.
"He was also stationed in Afghanistan at 18 and this had a profound impact on his mental health. He went AWOL and, as the Army later confirmed, suffered PTSD from his experiences."
She added: "This is a man who can take positive steps and when given challenges he can rise to them."
Sentencing, Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said: "These matters show a disturbing pattern of violence that you subjected your ex-partner to.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The Sun
"You were undoubtedly affected by the violence you witnessed in Afghanistan but perhaps the greatest irony of this case is that you were there to fight for the freedom of women but when you came home you showed very little respect for the women you went out to protect."
The judge concluded by saying: "However, I do see you as a prime candidate for rehabilitation, as shown by your recent academic endeavours...The future is in your hands."
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 – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a - 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.