WOMAN STRANGLED BY ABUSIVE BOYFRIEND WARNS THAT HE WOULD DO THE SAME TO OTHER WOMEN
Warning: This article contains details that may be upsetting to some readers.A mother of four has spoken out about the night she believed would be her last, describing how her partner violently strangled her during a terrifying outburst in their Folkestone home.
Gina Aiano is sharing her experience in hopes of raising awareness, following the sentencing of Richard Murray, who received two years and three months in prison for a violent assault that nearly claimed her life.
Despite the sentence, Aiano says the punishment doesn’t reflect the lasting trauma she now carries and fears Murray will strike again once released.
“I truly believed I was dying.
What he did has left me mentally scarred,” Aiano said.
“He’ll do this to someone else.
I know he will.” The incident occurred after the couple invited a man they had met online to their residence on December 30.
Prosecutors said Murray’s jealousy surfaced before the visitor even arrived.
He began making accusations, calling Aiano multiple times and alleging infidelity.
The confrontation escalated outside near St Michael’s Street, where he grabbed her by the throat and shoved her over a wall.
Aiano fled through the town centre, receiving a barrage of threatening voice messages.
She returned to the flat in the early hours of the morning, locking herself in the bathroom only for Murray to force the door open.
What followed was a prolonged and vicious assault.
He pinned her against the wall, slapped her, then pursued her into the living room where he repeatedly grabbed her by the throat.
At one point, she hit her head against the wall after being shoved onto the sofa.
He headbutted her and, at the height of the violence, strangled her to the point where she had to tap on his arm just to breathe.
“She begged him not to kill her, then the defendant said he was going to kill himself.” Aiano managed to discreetly call emergency services during the attack.
Though Murray realised what she was doing, she succeeded in calling out her address.
Police arrived shortly after and arrested him.
Court records reveal Murray has a troubling history, with 23 past offences 12 of them convictions, many linked to domestic abuse.
One prior incident in 2021 involved him choking a former partner into unconsciousness.
In a written statement to the court, Aiano said her physical recovery was progressing, but the mental toll was severe.
“Physically, I am recovering well, however, I would say mentally, I am f***ed.” “For a while afterwards, I was crying myself to sleep and had to take sleeping tablets to get some rest, as every time I closed my eyes I felt him around my neck.
She now struggles to leave her home for long and relies on her workplace as one of the few places she feels semi-secure.
The trauma has forced her to move out of the home she paid for—once her sanctuary.
During sentencing, Murray’s lawyer argued for leniency, claiming remorse and a desire to change.
But the judge wasn’t convinced.
Citing Murray’s violent history and repeated abuse, the court denied a suspended sentence.
“I’ve seen the injuries you caused,” the judge stated.
“Your history and the sustained nature of this attack raise serious questions about your remorse.” Having served time in custody since the incident, Murray is expected to be released in approximately three months.
A five-year restraining order is now in place barring any contact with Aiano.
Still, she remains concerned for others.
“Going through this whole process has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” she said.
“I did it for the women who were too scared to come forward, because I’ve spoken to two or three of them personally, and I know that Richard made them too scared to go to the police.
“I’ve done everything that I can, but the sentence he’s been given, I don’t think it’s enough.
It doesn’t match the harm he’s done.”
