Gareth Pursehouse, 45, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of his former girlfriend, Amie Harwick, a prominent sex therapist. Pursehouse was convicted in September of first-degree murder for the killing of the 38-year-old at her Los Angeles home in February 2020.
Prosecutors described Pursehouse as 'obsessed' with Harwick after their breakup more than a decade ago. Deputy District Attorney Victor Avila stated that Pursehouse felt entitled to her. The court heard that Pursehouse broke into Harwick's home, waited for hours, then strangled and punched her before throwing her over a balcony.
Police were called after neighbours heard screaming. Harwick was found unconscious but alive, and died shortly after arriving at hospital. An autopsy revealed blunt-force injuries to the head and torso, along with evidence of manual strangulation.
Harwick had previously dated Pursehouse for 18 months and filed a restraining order against him in 2012, which expired in 2015. A month before her murder, Harwick encountered Pursehouse at a work event, after which she expressed fear of him in texts and an email to herself.
Friends described Harwick as an advocate for women. Robert Coshland, her best friend, noted the tragic irony that she became a statistic of the violence she spoke about. Comedian Drew Carey, to whom Harwick was once engaged, called her a 'champion' for women.
