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Domestic violence against men: Gemma Hollings

 

Woman who attacked her boyfriend with a hammer, pole and broken bottle jailed for eight years after ‘one of the worst’ cases of domestic violence police have seen

  • Gemma Hollings, 37, attacked partner after row over hair straighteners
  • Paul Kirkpatrick, 30, was slashed across the neck with a broken bottle
  • Also hit with hammer and pole, leaving him with broken bone in his face
  • Police found victim covered in blood in the street after he ran from home 

A woman who hit her partner with a hammer and pole, and slashed him with a broken glass bottle has been jailed for eight years.

Gemma Hollings, 37, was jailed for two counts of grievous bodily harm, and two of assault, in ‘one of the worst cases of domestic violence’ police had ever seen.

Paul Kirkpatrick, 30, had his neck slashed with a bottle, suffered a cut above his eye, and had a bone in his face broken after a vicious attack in May.

Police found the victim lying in the street after he ran away from the home he shared with his partner in Darwen, Lancashire.

He told officers that she had caused the wounds after an argument over her hair straighteners.

Speaking after the hearing at Preston Crown Court, DC Jenny Berry, said: ‘The victim suffered very traumatic injuries. They could have potentially been fatal.

‘This was a nasty attack. It is certainly one of the most serious cases of domestic violence I have ever come across. It was a relentless assault.

‘Justice has now been done for the victim and he just wants to forget about the whole thing and move on with his life.’ 

She added: ‘The bottle had been used to cause the injury to his neck. When the victim was found, he did not really understand the significance of his injuries.

‘Since the attack, he has been able to move on. He has moved away and is not living in Darwen anymore. He has made a fresh start now that Hollings is in prison and the further away from her he is, the better.’

‘Tackling the issue is one of our main priorities and I would urge anyone, male of female, who is experiencing it to come forward.’

Wendy Chappell, senior prosecutor, said: ‘Gemma Hollings carried out a series of violent attacks on her partner over two days using her bare hands and several weapons.

‘He received extremely serious injuries resulting in him requiring hospital treatment.

‘Everyone has the right to feel safe and be safe in their personal relationships, therefore, the CPS and police take all cases of domestic violence extremely seriously regardless of whether the victim is male or female.

‘Bringing the perpetrators of such offences to justice remains a high priority.

MALE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS

Domestic violence is still a largely hidden crime, and police forces have been criticised for poor data collection on the issue.

But based on current estimates, it is believed that 30 per cent of women and 16 per cent of men have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16.

Almost 40 per cent of domestic violence victims are thought to be male, with an estimated 720,000 men attacked in the last year, compared to 1.2million women.

That gap narrows considerably when it comes to the most severe type of abuse, with 1 per cent of men falling into that category, compared with 1.4 per cent of women.

While the issue is now more widely reported by all victims, men are still twice as likely to stay silent after abuse.

This year Home Secretary Theresa May raised the prospect of a new offence of domestic abuse.

The new charge would cover grey areas such as stalking and financial control that are not wholly covered under existing laws. 

– Data provided by charity ManKind 

‘I would like to encourage anyone who has been a victim of such offences to come forward and report it to the police and we will support you in every possible way.’

Rachel Horman, a solicitor specialising in domestic violence, at Watson Ramsbottom, said men often felt too embarrassed to tell the authorities.

She said: ‘It is harder for men to come forward because of ideas of masculinity and that men should be tough. Some men feel ashamed, but I would urge them to get help from the police or domestic violence charities.

‘They should not be embarrassed because every specialist will have dealt with men before.’

According to Home Office statistics, 2.7 million men have experienced some form of domestic abuse in their lifetimes, with 700,000 victims reported in 2012/13 alone.

A spokeswoman from the Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Domestic Violence Team said they often saw cases of domestic violence against men, but that there were still more women who came forward.

She said: “Regardless of gender, if you are feeling frightened or want someone to talk to about something going on in the home, give us a call and we can support you.

‘Gender does not matter, everybody is treated as an individual.’

Clive Grunshaw, Lancashire’s police and crime commissioner, said: ‘Domestic abuse is a problem which affects all sections of society, and is one which I take very seriously.

‘It is vitally important all victims – whether they are male or female – feel they are able to come forward. The courage and bravery displayed by the victim in this case is to be commended.

‘Abuse is never the fault of the victim.’

MALE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS

Domestic violence is still a largely hidden crime, and police forces have been criticised for poor data collection on the issue.

But based on current estimates, it is believed that 30 per cent of women and 16 per cent of men have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16.

Almost 40 per cent of domestic violence victims are thought to be male, with an estimated 720,000 men attacked in the last year, compared to 1.2million women.

That gap narrows considerably when it comes to the most severe type of abuse, with 1 per cent of men falling into that category, compared with 1.4 per cent of women.

While the issue is now more widely reported by all victims, men are still twice as likely to stay silent after abuse.

This year Home Secretary Theresa May raised the prospect of a new offence of domestic abuse.

The new charge would cover grey areas such as stalking and financial control that are not wholly covered under existing laws. 

– Data provided by charity ManKind

Gemma Hollings hammer attack sentence increased

 

A woman who almost killed her partner with a hammer and a broken bottle has had her prison sentence increased.

Gemma Hollings, from Darwen in Lancashire, also used a curtain pole to beat Mark Kirkpatrick after a row about money. He was found by a passer-by in the street.

The Court of Appeal increased her eight-year sentence to 12 years.

Lancashire Police said it was one of the worst cases of domestic violence they had seen.

The couple, who both had a history of drug problems, had planned to marry.

The Attorney General’s office said Hollings was convicted of wounding and assault over the attack at her home. She was jailed in October.

The case was brought to the Court of Appeal as the sentenced was deemed “unduly lenient”, as the attacks “carried the risk of causing permanent disability or death”.

The attack on Mark Kirkpatrick

  • Struck repeatedly on the arms, back and head with a ball hammer
  • Hit over the head twice with an empty bottle of ouzo, then stabbed in the neck with the bottle after it had smashed
  • Struck on the head, arms, back and legs with a curtain pole
  • Testicles grabbed, causing him “intense pain”
  • Mr Kirkpatrick required treatment for a fractured cheekbone and eye socket, a neck stab wound, bruises and cuts across his body and four head wounds

The Solicitor General said Mr Kirkpatrick was “lucky to be alive”.

Conservative MP Robert Buckland, who is a barrister, said: “Hollings committed a series of unprovoked assaults on the victim within a 24-hour period.

“The victim suffered multiple serious injuries and significant psychological harm. Hollings has previous convictions for assault and this episode amounted to a horrendous and potentially fatal case of domestic abuse.”

 

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