❌BARRIE FOWLER – DURHAM❌
Durham Man Spared Jail After Pregnant Partner Begs Judge for Leniency
Barrie Fowler, 40, of Wesley Terrace, Castleside, admitted a string of violent assaults against his pregnant partner during a series of terrifying incidents throughout 2023. He appeared at Newcastle Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to:
- Assault by beating
- Intentional strangulation
- Common assault
- Criminal damage
The court heard Fowler’s violent and controlling behaviour was fuelled by alcohol and cocaine abuse.
🔹 Key Incidents:
- May 2023: While on holiday in Tunisia, Fowler bit the pregnant victim’s hand so hard it left an open wound. He also locked her in a bathroom, took her phone, and dragged her onto a balcony during the attack.
- July 2023: At her home, he grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against a wall. The next day, she had finger-mark bruises on her neck and struggled to swallow.
- Later in 2023, he punched toward her face, struck her hands, and damaged a door and staircase—injuring her leg.
- He told her: “I wish I had done a better job. I wish I’d killed you.”
🔹 Victim’s Statement:
Initially, the woman told police:
“I have no confidence in myself and my looks anymore. I don’t feel I’m the same person I was before I met him. He has destroyed my self-esteem.”
However, by sentencing, she withdrew support for prosecution and pleaded for leniency—saying his arrest had been a “wake-up call” and that she believed he had changed.
🔹 Sentencing Outcome:
- 2-year prison sentence, suspended for 2 years
- 100 hours of unpaid work
- 90-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement
Judge Sarah Mallett expressed serious concern about the nature of the violence and the victim’s vulnerability but chose to suspend the sentence, warning Fowler of the grave risk his actions posed. She also noted the statistical link between strangulation and domestic homicide.
Fowler was described as remorseful, and his legal team claimed he had stopped drinking and using drugs, and was attempting to rebuild his life.