John Gizzi, a 55-year-old man once known as Rhyl's "Mr Big", has been jailed for four years and 11 months after a court heard he subjected his former partner to a sustained campaign of coercive control and violence.

Gizzi, of Cwttir Lane in St Asaph, Denbighshire, was sentenced at Mold Crown Court on Thursday 12 November. He received four years in prison for coercive and controlling behaviour towards Natasha Farah, known as Tasha, and a further 11 months, to run consecutively, for the intentional strangulation of her sister, Samantha Farah.

Judge Simon Mills described the abuse as "appalling" and said Gizzi had used "dreadful misogynistic language" towards Ms Farah as part of a process of humiliation that destroyed her self-worth. The judge said the case was one of the worst examples of coercive control in a domestic abuse setting that the court had seen.

A campaign of control and violence

The court heard that Gizzi and Ms Farah began a relationship in 2024. Prosecutor Elen Owen told the court that Gizzi controlled what Ms Farah wore, accused her of infidelity and repeatedly abused her, both verbally and physically.

Among the incidents described in court, Gizzi told Ms Farah to "die and do us all a favour", rammed her car, threatened her with a dumbbell and punched her in the head. He pushed her into a hotel swimming pool and, on another occasion, threw her clothes onto a roof after finding her at a train station. He also gripped her sister Samantha's neck with both hands in a pub, causing her to fall.

The abuse came to light after Ms Farah was found hanging at her home in April. Gizzi told police he had cut her down. She survived but suffered severe brain damage and now needs round-the-clock hospital care. The court heard there was no evidence that Gizzi was directly responsible for the injuries she sustained in that incident, and the judge said he could not sentence him for her current condition, while noting that a police investigation could follow if further evidence came to light.

Guilty pleas and sentence

Gizzi had been due to stand trial on five charges but instead pleaded guilty to three. He admitted coercive and controlling behaviour against Ms Farah between 1 March 2025 and 8 April 2026, intentional strangulation of Samantha Farah on 3 April 2026, and failing to disclose a mobile phone PIN to police on 27 April 2026. He had been remanded in custody since his arrest in April.

Alongside the prison sentence, Judge Mills imposed a four-month concurrent term for the phone PIN offence and made Gizzi subject to a restraining order and a domestic abuse protection order, both lasting 15 years. The judge noted that Gizzi had a "troubling history" and had previously served a prison sentence.

Detective Constable Rebecca Donaghy, of North Wales Police, said the investigation found Gizzi had abused his victim over a prolonged period. She said the strangulation of Ms Farah's sister was "an extremely serious act of violence" and praised the victims' family for their courage.

Ms Farah's sister told the court her sister was now "trapped in her own body", and the family described Gizzi as "the devil in disguise". Members of the public gallery called out that the sentence was too short and were asked to be quiet by a court usher.

Anyone affected by domestic abuse in the UK can call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247, or contact the police on 999 in an emergency.