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A former British Army sniper who beat up and strangled his girlfriend during a series of jealous fits of rage has been spared from prison after claiming he was haunted by horrors he witnessed while serving in Afghanistan.
Junior Fordwor, 26, described as a ‘manipulative narcissist’, belittled and abused 27-year-old cosmetics model Stephanie Render – in the most serious incident, he left her unconscious for a few seconds by strangling her.
But he has avoided going to jail after a judge admitted he had PTSD after his military experiences.
In one incident, ex-infantry man Fordwor pushed Miss Render to the floor of her apartment in a fit of rage after seeing her like another man’s photo on Instagram.
In another, he ransacked her kitchen and threatened to kill Miss Render before suffocating her when she lost consciousness.
In a third outburst, he threw her against a bedpost and smashed her TV.
Former British Army sniper Junior Fordwor beat and strangled his girlfriend in a series of tantrums
Stephanie Render was pushed to the floor of her apartment after Fordwor saw that she had liked another man’s photo on Instagram in an incident
At Manchester Crown Court, Fordwor, of Higher Broughton, Salford, who served with the Royal Fusiliers, he risked prison after admitting to physical injuries, general assault and criminal damage.
But he was sentenced to 21 months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence after a judge admitted he suffered from PTSD as a result of his military experiences.
He was also ordered to pay Miss Render £380 in compensation, 25 days of rehabilitation and 100 hours of unpaid work.
The court heard that he has since obtained a 2:1 law degree from John Moores University in Liverpool.
Fordwor, of Higher Broughton, Salford, admitted physical injury, habitual assault and criminal damage
The defendant met Miss Render online in April 2020 through a dating app, but the relationship became official a year later
Miss Render, who works in Manchester, eventually made a statement to police after her mother alerted authorities following the latest incident.
She said: ‘Junior was my boyfriend for two years, it was on and off for a while and a lot of playing, but we finally got together after I moved to Manchester.
“His narcissistic traits made me feel like I was always the problem. He lied to me a lot. I must mention the love I had for Junior and I was heartbroken by the whole affair.’
“I still think about it today, maybe not as much as I used to. Time aids in the healing process.
“I’ve definitely changed since then and will never let anyone manipulate me the way he did and I certainly won’t let anyone lay hands on me like he did.”
Prosecutor Betsy Hindle said: “The defendant met Miss Render online in April 2020 through a dating app, but the relationship was not formalized until April 2021.
However, he met her regularly at her apartment in Salford and eventually moved into a flat with her.
The first violent incident occurred on September 21, 2021 when the defendant became jealous after seeing Miss Render as a photo of another man on Instagram. This led to a violent outburst, during which he yelled at Render and pushed her to the ground.
Immediately afterward, he denied assaulting her and instead of asking if she was okay, he belittled her.
Fordwor served with the Royal Fusiliers and a court heard he suffered from PTSD from his experiences
“The second incident was the most serious in the entire relationship. On November 20, 2021, Miss Render was with her friends on a night out in Manchester.
“The defendant had repeatedly contacted her to ask where she was and what time she would be back. He also sent pictures of him on her balcony, trying to control her.
“Miss Render went back to her house with her friend and charged her phone so she could answer the defendant. She told the defendant where she was and he then decided to go to the friend’s address and wait outside.
“Miss Render decided to go outside to talk to the defendant, against her friend’s advice. The defendant then was aggressive towards her and yelled at her repeatedly. He also poked her hard in the chest and punched her in the face.
“When they both returned to the flat, the defendant destroyed her kitchen and threw items from the counter onto the floor. At one point, he even threw cornflakes on the floor to show control.
“After this, the defendant threatened to kill Mrs Render, put his hands around her neck and strangled her. She lost consciousness for a few seconds.’
She continued: “He attacked Render again on December 5, 2021. Defendant saw Render receive a message from a male friend on her phone and he responded by throwing her to the floor, grabbing her in the back of her neck and throwing her at her.” a bed style.
Finally, on December 12, 2021, the defendant came to the flat unannounced and was immediately verbally abusive to Miss Render. He smashed her TV, causing permanent damage, and threw several objects around the flat.”
“After this latest incident, Render’s mother called the police at the flat and the defendant was arrested. On arrival at the flat, police also found a zippered bag of cannabis that the defendant believed was his. Miss Render had secretly videotaped some of the incidents and these were used as evidence.”
Miss Render who works in Manchester finally made a statement to police after her mother alerted authorities
Fordwor initially denied the wrongdoing, claiming self-defense or that Miss Render was accidentally injured, but changed his pleas on the day of the trial.
As a mitigating circumstance, attorney Charlotte Atherton said, “The question in court is how a young man in his 20s, studying law at John Moores University, ends up in a situation like this. He has limited emotional maturity and difficulty with thinking.
“He had a traumatic childhood in which he lost his mother to drugs and his father to prison dealing drugs. This led to him being placed in the care of his grandmother, who used violence as a form of discipline.
‘When this violence came to light, he was admitted to social services at the age of 13. To make matters worse, he later saw one of his childhood friends commit suicide.
He left school with one GCSE and decided to join the military at age 16. He remained a member of the Royal Fusiliers until he was 22. During his service, he worked as a specialist infantryman in reconnaissance and sniping.
He was also stationed in Afghanistan when he was 18 and this had a major impact on his mental health. He went AWOL and, as the military later confirmed, suffered from PTSD from his experiences.
‘After his discharge from the army, he went on to study at the University of Bolton and obtained all 30 credits of his GCSE qualification. He then won a place to study law at Manchester Metropolitan University and later moved on to John Moores in Liverpool, where I can reveal that he recently completed a 2:1 law degree.”
‘He pleaded guilty knowing that he would lose his chance at a future career in law, but I was told that he now also wants to study economics. He has admitted that the cannabis is in fact his and that he occasionally used it to help him fall asleep when he was struggling with his PTSD.
“This is a man who can take positive steps and when he is faced with challenges, he can take them.”
On December 12, 2021, the defendant came to the flat unannounced and was immediately verbally abusive to Miss Render (pictured)
At sentencing, Judge Elizabeth Nicholls told Fordwor: “These cases show a disturbing pattern of violence to which you have subjected your ex-partner. In the evidence, you appear to be in control and are visibly obnoxious towards Ms Render.
“You were no doubt affected by the violence you witnessed in Afghanistan, but perhaps the greatest irony of this case is that you were there to fight for women’s freedom, but when you came home you showed very little respect for the women.” who was going to protect you.
“This was not an isolated experience or episode either.”
“But I do see you as an excellent candidate for rehabilitation, as evidenced by your recent academic efforts. Unless you address these issues, no relationship you enter will ever work and there is a good chance that you will face court again.
“As you are no doubt aware, the court is deeply concerned when young men use strangulation as a means of control. The future is in your hands.’