Abusive boyfriend on bail for attacking woman murdered his partner then filmed sick video mocking her as she lay dying
A CONTROLLING boyfriend beat, strangled and smothered his girlfriend then filmed a sick video mocking her as she lay dying.
Jason Gowen, 28, was on bail for attacking another woman when he brutally murdered mum-of-two Fiona Robinson.
As she lay gravely injured and naked on the floor of their home in Chorley, Lancashire, the monster filmed a vile video.
Gowen also took a photo of the stricken mum as she vomited following the horror attack.
He then waited until the following morning before he finally called 999 to tell them Fiona was covered in bruises and wasn't breathing.
The killer then claimed he had been out drinking and returned home to find his partner injured.
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Gowen has now been jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years after pleading guilty to murder and charges of ABH and common assault against his previous partner.
In a powerful victim impact statement, Fiona's two teenage children said: “Emotionally, a massive hole has been left in our lives and our hearts. It's as if we have a constant physical ache in our chests.
“I can be sat on a bus and hear children shout ‘mum’, or walk down the street and hear a child call out ‘mum', and I realise that I'll never be able to say that again myself.”
Fiona's mum Susan Dunston said she has been left unable to sleep or eat properly following her daughter's death.
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She said: "It takes me hours and hours to drift off, and when I do all I can see is Fiona. I find myself going through what must have happened over and over again. It is like living in a nightmare that I just want to wake up from.
“As soon as I open my eyes she is in my thoughts. No mother should ever have to bury her child, especially in such circumstances.
“I cannot get the image of Fiona, injured, out of my head. I have nightmares where I can see it taking place, but I am powerless to stop him.”
Preston Crown Court heard how Gowen claimed he and Fiona were “massively in love and planning a wedding.”
But she had been planning to leave him in the weeks leading up to her death and had sent photos of injuries he caused to her pals.
On May 24, the couple had been out drinking in Chorley and visited a number of bars both together and separately.
At 1.30pm, Gowan messaged Fiona telling her: “If you love me, ring me.”
After a six and a half minute call from his partner, he then texted her saying: “Knew you didn’t love me.”
By 11.30pm, Gowen had downed at least 11 pints of beer and was unsteady on his feet when he returned home.
Fiona meanwhile was seen on CCTV walking into a McDonald's without any visible injuries.
Gowen was spotted the following morning going in and out of the house but Fiona was nowhere to be seen.
Police were able to establish from the video that he had carried out part of the violent attack by 10.30am.
A post mortem found Fiona had suffered a sustained and violent assault but could not determine whether she died from a single attack or numerous beatings over the course of the day.
Fiona suffered injuries consistent with being strangled and smothered, as well as wounds to her lower back which caused bleeding into her abdominal cavity.
She also had extensive bruising to her torso arms, legs and head, numerous broken ribs, bite marks to her breast and arm and at least 31 separate head injuries.
Home Office pathologist Dr Alison Armour said the injuries were consistent with manual strangulation and suffocation.
Fiona had also been stamped on, with the doctor finding any of the injuries were severe enough to have caused her death.
Following her murder, it emerged Gowen had previously hit his ex-partner while driving and pinned her down during a row.
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.
Det Superintendent Mark Haworth-Oates, of the Lancashire Police, said: “Throughout her relationship with Gowen, Fiona was subjected to physical and psychological abuse, which culminated in the attack which killed her.
“Gowen, has shown himself to be a violent and manipulative offender, who preyed on women that he formed relationships with. While we will never know what caused the violence on that night, it is clear that Gowen put Fiona through an unimaginable ordeal, over a period of 24 hours, inflicting a large number of injuries upon her.
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"He then failed to get Fiona the medical help that she so obviously needed, no doubt all for reasons of self-interest and control, and allowed her to die.
“There is no excuse for abuse. If you hear Fiona’s story and see similarities in your own life or that of a family member or friend then I urge you to seek help and make a report to the Police or other agencies who can provide advice and support.”
