PAUL MCCANN SENTENCED IN WIGAN FOR HORRIFIC DOMESTIC ABUSE AND APPALLING ACTS AGAINST MOTHER AND STILLBORN BABY

A disturbing case of domestic abuse in Wigan has culminated in the sentencing of Paul McCann, who subjected his partner, Erin Grigsby, to a horrifying spectrum of violence and cruelty. The 46-year-old, of Warrington Road, Abram, appeared at Bolton Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to charges including intentional strangulation, two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), and controlling behaviour. He received a prison sentence of three years, with 14 months to serve behind bars, followed by licence conditions in the community.

Erin Grigsby, a 38-year-old mother, recounted her traumatic experience, revealing she was “scared for her life” during their six-month relationship. She detailed a sequence of terrifying incidents, most notably the day McCann forced the ashes of her stillborn daughter into her mouth, and strangled her with a noose until she lost consciousness.

Before sentencing, a victim impact statement was read aloud on Erin’s behalf, describing the relentless abuse she endured. Erin explained that she initially believed McCann had been a loving partner who wanted to be a father figure, sharing ultrasound scans and making plans for their future. She said, “He made me feel he was my knight in shining armour. He was loving, doting and wanted to be a dad to the baby I was carrying.”

The situation worsened after social services advised her to use Clare’s Law, which reveals previous abusive or violent offending by partners. It took four months for the information to be disclosed, during which Erin suffered unimaginable abuse as McCann’s behaviour escalated.

She described her initial positive feelings: “Clare's Law was put in for but it took about four months for anything to come back. In that time my existence became an unimaginable hell.” She also revealed that McCann’s control extended to tattooing her name on his neck without her consent, which heightened her anxiety and feelings of ownership.

Tragically, Erin attributed her subsequent stress and trauma as contributing factors to the stillbirth of her daughter, Nellie. She recounted asking McCann for space during her labor pains, only to find she was overrun by his incessant calls. “I now believe she would be here if he had left me alone,” she said.

After discharging herself from hospital, Erin returned to Wigan with McCann, moving into unfamiliar territory. The following day marked the start of physical abuse, including McCann tipping over the sofa she was sitting on, destroying her bank card, and taking financial control. He was arrested that night after calling the police claiming Erin was abusive.

The abuse continued intensively over the next month. Just days before Nellie’s cremation, McCann inflicted severe bruises on Erin, forcing her to cover up her injuries with makeup for her daughter’s funeral. She described the ongoing violence and insensitivity: “Not a week went by where I was not black and blue. He even said to me, he wasn't being funny but don’t I bruise easily.”

In the most harrowing act, McCann desecrated Nellie’s remains by pulling her from her final resting place and pouring her ashes onto Erin’s face and into her mouth, forcibly making her consume her own daughter. Erin recalled her suffering during this moment: “There are no words for his sadistic actions and smile as he did the unthinkable. He poured my daughter's ashes in my face and mouth, forcing me to eat her, forcing my mouth open and shut.” She confided that she wanted to die in that moment and continues to be haunted by the trauma: “This will haunt me every day of my life in my waking moments and in my sleep. The night terrors are unbearable, and I’ve forever lost part of Nellie to his evil actions.”

Erin also mentioned that she left out several incidents from her impact statement due to their sheer number, including an incident where McCann poured superglue into her hair, causing her to cut all her hair off, and an attempt to kill her cat. She expressed her fear and hope for others: “I am honestly petrified for any female that comes into contact with Paul. I am not the first but I want to be the last.”

Reflecting on her ordeal, she said, “I thought I had met a man who loved and would protect me, and now I realize I am lucky to be alive.” She detailed how McCann moved her to Wigan, smashed her phone, and forced her to give him her bank card, even accompanying her to the bank to withdraw her funds—leaving her with no means to escape. “The worst part of all this is I could see the enjoyment he got in his face off the mental torture he put me through.”