Josh Gebbie: Convicted Barnsley killer subjected ex to three-year campaign of coercive control & violence

Josh Gebbie and the complainant were in a relationship for around three years, but it would often be ‘on and off’ due to Gebbie’s ‘unacceptable’ and violent behaviour, the judge, Recorder Felicity Davies, told Sheffield Crown Court. 

The court heard how 32-year-old Gebbie, who has a record spanning 39 previous offences including convictions for manslaughter and robbery, became consumed with jealousy and was regularly abusive towards the complainant. 

“It appears that you began to believe that she was cheating on you, and that led to your behaviour becoming worse,” Recorder Davies said. 

Describing one of Gebbie’s violent episodes, prosecutor Jennifer Coldham said he punched the complainant to the back of the head and neck. 

During another, Gebbie ‘threw her around’ and ‘broke her left hand,’ said Ms Coldham, adding that subsequent medical examination revealed she was left with bruising and swelling but no broken bones. 

Ms Coldham said Gebbie exerted control over the complainant in a number of ways such as insisting upon access to her phone, forcing her to delete her social media accounts and making her believe she needed to seek his ‘permission’ to see her friends. 

Gebbie, of Doncaster Road, Goldthorpe, Barnsley, would tell the complainant her friends were ‘no good’; and on one occasion when she said she wanted to visit a friend who had recently had a baby he complained and asked why they could not come to their house instead, the court heard. 

Describing the incident in April 2024 that finally led to the end of the couple’s relationship, Recorder Davies told Gebbie: “She woke you up because you were due to go to a course. An argument occurred, in which you began being abusive to her, accusing her of deleting things from her phone, and why should she not? 

“Control of her phone seems to be a persistent issue, and you had broken her phone the week before this day. She bought a new one. You demanded she give it to you, which she refused. 

“You became very angry…she asked you to leave, you talked about her having a lie detector test to prove she hadn’t cheated on you. 

“It’s quite appalling behaviour towards another person.”

“You picked her up by her arms, threw her backwards into the hall and she landed on her bottom, causing pain and bruising to her coccyx. 

“You then grabbed her phone, which she had dropped in the attack. You proceeded to drop that new phone on the phone. She was clearly very frightened.”

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“You asked her if she needed an ambulance. She asked you to leave, and you said she was responding to your attack in the way she was for attention…you shouted at her and threatened to get a knife from the kitchen and slit her throat.” 

Recorder Davies noted that the complainant’s three-year-old daughter was present in the house at the time, and while she may not have seen the violence ‘she must have heard what was going on’. 

Gebbie was subsequently arrested and charged with offences of engaging in controlling and coercive behaviour in an intimate relationship and assault by beating, both of which he pleaded guilty to at an earlier hearing. He was remanded into custody following the April 2024 assault, the court heard. 

In a statement read to the court, the complainant said she is ‘broken by what occurred’ and ‘doesn’t feel like a person anymore’. 

The complainant said that despite Gebbie being remanded into custody, she still feels ‘unsafe,’ ‘terrified’ and like he is going to ‘get her’. 

She added, however, that she feels ‘free’ since the relationship ended, and has started to ‘make friends’. 

Defending, Brian Outhwaite, said: “He is ashamed of his behaviour, and offers a heartfelt, full apology to the complainant.”

Mr Outhwaite described Gebbie as an ‘insecure young man’ and suggested this may stem from spending time in care and foster homes as a child, and the fears and ‘anxiety’ created as a consequence.

“He thought that by acting in the way he did, it would secure his relationship and not bring it to an end, and of course he’s done the exact opposite,” said Mr Outhwaite. 

He referred Recorder Davies to Gebbie’s pre-sentence report, which suggests he may benefit from a mental health treatment programme. Mr Outhwaite says the report does not suggest Gebbie’s case is a ‘hopeless’ one and that he has a ‘realistic prospect of rehabilitation’.

Mr Outhwaite continued: “He loves his mother very much…she’s very ill and he wants to spend time with her, and take the opportunity to get his life back on track.”

Recorder Davies sentenced Gebbie to 18 months’ custody, suspended for two years; and said she had been ‘persuaded’ that the public - as well as Gebbie - would benefit from him receiving a sentence, which would ‘incorporate some treatment’ for him instead of ‘simply locking’ him up again.

She said she had reached that conclusion after considering Gebbie’s mitigation, the three months he has spent in custody and the recommendation that he would benefit from a mental health treatment programme while at liberty in the community. 

Recorder Davies also told Gebbie he must complete 100 hours of unpaid work, along with a mental health treatment programme of up to 12 months and a three-month rehabilitation requirement. 

She also granted a restraining order, which will prohibit Gebbie from contacting the complainant for a period of three years. 

*Support is available for anyone experiencing domestic abuse.

• Call the Independent Domestic Abuse Service (IDAS) on 03000 110 110.
• Call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.