Petersfield man jailed for domestic abuse

A man has been jailed for seven years for domestic abuse offences, including assault and strangulation, in Gosport and Petersfield.

24-year-old Callum Hornby, of Grange Road in Petersfield, appeared at Winchester Crown Court for sentencing, after he pleaded guilty to a series of incidents perpetrated against a woman between the 8^th of October 2023 and the 11^th of September last year.

The offences are as follows:

• Assault occasioning actual bodily harm on 8 October 2023.
• Intentional Strangulation in Grange Road, Petersfield on 16 February 2024.
• Assault occasioning actual bodily harm in Grange Road, Petersfield on 16 February 2024.
• Assault by beating on 9 March 2024.
• Assault occasioning actual bodily harm between 31 May 2024 and 1 July 2024.
• Intentional Strangulation at an address in Hanbidge Walk, Gosport, on 24 August 2024.
• Assault occasioning actual bodily harm at an address in Hanbidge Walk, Gosport, on 25 August 2024.
• Making threats to kill at an address in Hanbidge Walk, Gosport, on 11 September 2024.

Addressing the court, the woman said,

“The impact of what Callum Hornby has done to me has impacted every part of my life.

“It has affected my mental health, my confidence and my relationships with my family and my friends. It has caused me trauma, which I am not sure I will ever recover from.

“I am a shell of what I use to be. I would say I am unrecognisable from who I use to be.

“What Callum has done in terms of his behaviours towards me and the constant fear, distress, manipulative and constant emotional blackmail, physical and extremely violent assaults, left me walking on egg shells and has brought me to the lowest point of my life.

“I have never encountered this level of physical and emotional abuse that Callum has put me through before. The constant threats to kill or hurt himself, the constant being on edge waiting for the next thing because of his mood or how he may be or react or his demands not being met has been painful and like a long slow illness slowly killing me.

“I find that coping day to day feels impossible. I had to leave my job as I feel unable to cope right now due to the emotional and physical burn out. I have also been unable to cope or finish my studies also due to the emotional and physical burn out.

“This saddens me greatly and I can only somehow hope that I one day recover from this, but I suspect this will take years and years.

I wish I had never met Callum Hornby.”

DC Angela Smith-Jones said, “I am very glad to see Hornby face justice for his actions and I believe this result reflects the seriousness with which we treat violence against women and girls.

“I would like to commend the victim for her strength and courage, both in coming forward to report and throughout the investigation and court process.

“The abuse she has endured at the hands of Hornby is abhorrent and I hope that seeing him put behind bars will help her on her road to recovering and rebuilding her life.

“Domestic abuse and violence has a devastating and long-lasting impact on those affected, and we will make every effort to target perpetrators and see them face the consequences of their actions.”