DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ONLINE ABUSE: THE CASE OF AARON WILLIAMS
A man named Aaron Williams, aged 27, was involved in a severe domestic violence incident and subsequent online abuse.He physically assaulted his former partner Jessica Gittings on her sister's wedding night, leaving her with injuries such as a footprint on her face, cuts, and bruises.
The attack lasted for approximately 90 minutes at her mother's house after the wedding party.
Williams, who was under a restraining order following a previous conviction, accused Jessica of flirting with other men at the wedding reception and flew into a rage when she mentioned her sister's big day.
During the assault, Williams stomped on her face with his formal wedding shoes, kicked her in the hips, and threw a lava lamp at her face, all while Jessica was still dressed as a maid of honour.
The violence was so extreme that her tooth chipped off.
Williams also controlled Jessica during their relationship, making her delete social media accounts and throw away makeup.
After the assault, he attempted to take her away in a taxi to hide the injuries.
Jessica reported the attack to the police, and Williams admitted to actual bodily harm, receiving a suspended sentence and a restraining order in June of the previous year.
Despite this, weeks later, he drunkenly abused Jessica online after reading reports about his previous attack, breaking a restraining order to hurl abuse at her.
Prosecutor William Bebb noted that Williams was arrested after police learned about the trolling and that he explained he had been drinking and taking prescribed medication at the time.
His solicitor, Ed Mitchard, argued that Williams was overwhelmed by online death threats and hate mail, which led him to make poor decisions.
Williams expressed remorse but was still seen as a coward by the judge, David Wynn Morgan, who described men who hit women as cowards.
Due to delays in the court case, Williams was not jailed but was instead handed a community order with 150 hours of unpaid work.
Jessica described her injuries, including stamping on her face with her shoes, kicking her in the hips, and using a lava lamp to hurt her.
She also expressed her emotional distress, saying she may never trust a man again, but was determined to rebuild her confidence and not let Williams win.
The court emphasized that violence against women is cowardly, and Williams was condemned for his actions.
