Morbid Rochdale torturer found guilty

Barry Edwards, 44, of Whitehall Street was found guilty of the nine-hour torture of his girlfriend at their home in Rochdale in May 2013.

The Minshull Street Crown Court heard how neighbours had alerted the police of the abuse after hearing loud banging noises and Edwards shouting he would “break her fucking spine,” before she responded, “don’t Baz, please don’t, I don’t want to die.”

Paul Hodgkinson, prosecuting, said that when officers arrived on the 29th of May 2013, they discovered blood-stained walls and found the victim unable to walk because her legs had been beaten so severely.

The victim was left with substantial injuries due to the horrific abuse she was subjected to. The court heard that Edwards punched the woman in the face, hit her repeatedly with a baseball bat, burned her hair and slashed her face and body with a razor blade. He also poured boiling water on her and kicked her down stairs.

During her nine-hour ordeal, Edwards also made her face the bedroom wall with a piece of card between the wall and her nose, said police. He said that if the card dropped to the floor or her hands dropped below her head, he would hit her, which happened when she tired and lowered her hands.

Police described the 25-year-old victim’s ordeal as “truly horrific,” and believe the person who reported hearing her shouts saved her life. She suffered a fractured rib, fractured finger, punctured lung as well as lacerations to her face and body and severely bruised legs.

Detective Constable Russ Clarke, from Greater Manchester Police, said: “This is one of the most horrendous incidents of domestic abuse I have ever dealt with, leaving the 25-year-old woman with terrible lifelong injuries.

“The attack was not only violent but degrading to the woman. He continuously made demands, instructing her to do things that made him feel powerful and simultaneously frightened her.

“He knew she would not be able to carry out what he asked and took pleasure from torturing her.”