Notorious ex-gangster sentenced for attacking women

Notorious former gangster John Gizzi is being sentenced on Thursday for attacking two sisters. Gizzi, 55, admitted charges of coercive and controlling behaviour and intentional strangulation in September.

He had been scheduled to stand trial on five charges but instead entered guilty pleas to three charges. Gizzi admitted to using coercive and controlling behaviour against Natasha Farah between March 1, 2025 and April 8, 2026.

He also pleaded guilty to failing to disclose a mobile phone's PIN to police on April 27, 2026. He further admitted intentional strangulation against Natasha's sister - Samantha Farah - on April 3 this year, North Wales Live reports.

The assaults occurred on multiple occasions, including in July and December last year, and on February 13, March 15 and in July of this year. One such assault took place inside a vehicle.

He is also alleged to have controlled what clothes she wore and subjected her to verbal abuse, including calling her a s**g and pursuing her in his car. He also made accusations of infidelity against her.

Gizzi, once known as Rhyl's Mr Big, enjoyed a lavish lifestyle with a £1.75m luxury home near St Asaph Cathedral. He drove around in a £100,000 Bentley and wore Rolex watches.

He had long been on the radar of the law thanks to his reputation on the streets of the seaside town. Police got their man in 2006 when Gizzi, then 34, was sent to prison after beating up two homeless men with wooden staves.

He also admitted a charge of conspiracy to supply counterfeit cigarettes and asked the court for 22 offences of mortgage fraud – involving almost £1.5m – to be taken into consideration.

Gizzi, of Cwttir Lane, St Asaph, Denbighshire, was ordered to pay back £2.6m under the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) - a figure later reduced to £1m.

This was raised by selling off his assets - including the St Asaph home which slumped in value in the credit crunch but still sold for £800,000.

As well as the mansion, 20 other mortgage properties were sold, a Rolex watch, and a fleet of luxury cars that included a Bentley Continental, Range Rover and a Mercedes. He was released after serving three years of a five-and-a-half year sentence.

You can follow live updates on his sentencing hearing on Thursday below.

There is an end violence against women protest outisde the court today, after Gizzi was sentenced. Samantha Farah pictured

Shouts of "beast" and "rot in hell" were heard from the gallery as Gizzi was sentenced.

Gizzi is sentenced to four years and 11 months

Addressing Gizzi, the judge said: “You would use dreadful misogynistic language to her on a regular basis. It’s part of the process of humiliating and belittling a person destroying her sense of confidence and self worth.”

The judge tells Gizzi it is “one of the worst cases of coercive control that can be contemplated”.

His Honour Judge Mills addresses the court. He makes a Domestic Abuse Protection Order and Restraining Order both for 15 years and tells the court that “adequate punishment can only be achieved by immediate custody”.

Mr Bould says he will be addressing his client’s personal mitigation: “He (Gizzi) accepted responsibility for arguments and jealousy. He has expressed regret and accepted responsibility for his violent behaviour and the harm he caused in the relationship.

“He’s a father and has an excellent work history mostly in the construction industry. “He has a long standing association with sport, particularly jujitsu in which he has gained personal and structural benefits. He does not drink alcohol or take drugs.

“The probation officer’s report says a custodial outcome within a previously indicated range would be appropriate.”

Barrister Duncan Bould, defending John Gizzi, is on his feet. The judge, His Honour Simon Mills, tells him he has a difficult task today.

Natasha’s dad Sammire Farrar addresses Gizzi directly from the witness box.

He said: “I can’t describe the pain I feel about what this monster has done to my family. She is a kind (and) strong girl and has always been there for the underdog.

“Tasha is severely brain damaged - trapped in her own body. I see a sad desperately frightened little girl. But she cannot do anything about this

“She cries real tears but can never make a sound, and no-one can understand that except her family.

“We will always fight evil (but) Roman has had his mother ripped away from him and we watch the night terrors that this monster - you, John - have caused.”

Samatha appeals to the court for justice: “I feel my independence, my security, my happiness and the future I imagined for myself has been taken away.

“There’s no sentence that can give us the life we had, give me back my sister and the life we were supposed to share with her! I am pleading with you to make the right decision. Justice has to be served. Without it we will not start to heal as a family.”

The day Natasha went to hospital changed the family’s life forever, Samantha told the court. She said: “We were told she had suffered severe brain damage.The doctors sat us down. The brain scans looked catastrophic. Hearing my mum’s screams is something that will haunt me for the rest of my life. I went into a complete breakdown.

“Natasha is my soulmate. We shared our humour, happiness and future plans. She is the first thing on my mind in the morning and the last at night. My sister is still here but I don’t have the sister I have known, beside me. I miss the conversations and laughter - all the things we took for granted.”

Samantha added: "I’ve swum in the Atlantic, visited Colombian jungles and jumped out of a plane at 14,000 ft (but) I’ve never experienced anything like that that night. He is a dangerous monster."

Samantha told the court that Gizzi chased down the sisters in a four by four and crashed into them when they went on a day out on Anglesey. She said: “He seemed determined to terrorise us. We were met by his blinding headlights. We couldn’t get out. He came at us at full force and rammed our car back into the car park (on Anglesey). He shouted ‘Get out of the f****** car’.”

“I was in sheer panic. I thought he would kill us. I thought he might have a knife or a gun. I was frightened for his own life. I drove to the nearest safe place but he chased us.

“I crashed into a wall. We had no choice but to get out for our lives. My whole body was shaking and cold. I have never been so frightened in our whole lives. We were so vulnerable.”

A visibly upset Samantha Farah sobbed as she told the court: "There are no words to express the pain and suffering we have endured since this monster (Gizzi) came into our lives. I worked aboard superyachts. I was independent, confident about what life might bring next. Though working abroad I have always been a home bird. There wouldn’t be a day when I wouldn’t call my sister."

Ms Farrar explains the extent of Natasha's injuries:“I can’t imagine what she goes through. She does give me the strength to be here today. She gives me strength. To go for seven months to hospital and be told by doctors your daughter is brain damaged. (My) beautiful, vibrant daughter, to see the tubes and knowing you can’t do anything as a mother is pure hell.

Ms Farrar said words will never explain a “tenth of what we have gone through. Gizzi was a ‘sickening, violent individual,” she said. Her grandson, nine, would have to live with the fact his mum had encountered Gizzi, who she called “a smiling, devil monster”.

Natasha's mum Denise Farrar reads a statement to the court detailing the "devastating impact” of Gizzi’s actions on the whole family.

“It is the stuff of extreme nightmares. All our precious lives will never, ever be the same again.

“How much pain, grief, anger, torture and intense heartache for my beautiful daughter Natasha. We as a family have been robbed of something so very special.”

On April 7, 2026, police seized Gizzi’s phone. He initially refused to disclose the device’s PIN until well after the deadline.

When it was unlocked messages showed he told her: “Die and do us all a favour.” Natasha called him “beyond cruel”.

In another incident at Kinmel Manor Hotel in Abergele he pushed Natasha into the hotel pool to humiliate her, Ms Owen said. Footage was played in court of Gizzi threatening Natasha: “I’m going to absolutely end you. You stupid b****.”

Ms Owen said Natasha met Katie at a Wetherspoon’s pub in Colwyn Bay on March 25 where she told her friend about the type of threats and abuse that she was subjected to by Gizzi Natasha said Gizzi held a dumbbell over her head and said chillingly, if he “dropped it she would be dead”. Gizz had also thrown a dumbbell at her and a man called Luke Francis when they were at a gym.

Natasha told Katie that Gizzi assaulted her on Valentine’s Day in 2026 leaving her with a lump to her head. She was also assaulted on Mother’s Day and Natasha expressed concern that the repeated blows were affecting her memory. The women discussed going to Women’s Aid while they were at Wetherspoons, Ms Owen added.

In another incident, at Colwyn Bay Football Club, Gizzi turned up in a Range Rover Discovery. Gizzi , who would often lend expensive cars to Natasha, tore off a rear view mirror of the Mercedes she was driving then punched Natasha who was still inside the car.

A friend Katie Crompton could see a red mark on her face and bruise on the side where her seatbelt had been.

Gizzi later offered to pay for Katie possibly to control her too or stop her from reporting the incident, Ms Owen said.

Gizzi took Samantha’s bag which contained her house keys phone and purse. Her mother and sister Natasha had to ask for them back to get into her flat. It was a recurring method of control by Gizzi, of both sisters.

The court is shown CCTV footage of the incident which shows Samantha falling to the floor.

The prosecutor listed abusive incidents between Gizzi and Natasha, her sister Samantha and their mother Denise. On April 4, Natasha told a witness at a football match he was abusive to her. When the couple later went to a pub, Samantha, her sister pushed Gizzi. He then grabbed Samantha’s neck in response and left marks on her neck.

Ms Owen said Ms Farah was found by Gizzi hanging by a rope on April 7 2025. Gizzi told police he cut her down. There is no evidence Gizzi is directly responsible for the injuries but, as a result, the police began an investigation which led to his present convictions.

Prosecutor Elen Owen says Gizzi and Natasha Farah began a relationship in 2024.

John Gizzi is in the dock as the sentencing hearing begins

Notorious former gangster John Gizzi is in Mold Crown Court this morning for attacking two sisters. Gizzi, 55, of Cwttir Lane, St Asaph, Denbighshire, admitted charges of coercive and controlling behaviour and intentional strangulation at Mold Crown Court in September.

He had been scheduled to stand trial on five charges instead entered guilty pleas to three charges.

Gizzi admitted to using coercive and controlling behaviour against Natasha Farah between March 1, 2025 and April 8, 2026. He also pleaded guilty to failing to disclose a mobile phone's PIN to police on April 27, 2026.

He further admitted intentional strangulation against Natasha's sister - Samantha Farah - on April 3 this year.

Our reporter David Powell is in Mold and will be providing all the latest updates from the sentencing hearing.