Former gangster John Gizzi is being sentenced at Mold Crown Court on Thursday for attacking two sisters. Gizzi, 55, of Cwttir Lane, St Asaph, Denbighshire, 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 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, and admitted intentional strangulation against Natasha's sister, Samantha Farah, on April 3 this year.
Court hears details of abuse
Prosecutor Elen Owen told the court that Gizzi and Natasha Farah began a relationship in 2024. The court heard that Natasha was found by Gizzi hanging by a rope on April 7, 2025, and Gizzi told police he cut her down. There is no evidence Gizzi is directly responsible for the injuries, but the police began an investigation which led to his present convictions.
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 pushed Gizzi, who then grabbed her neck and left marks on it. CCTV footage shown in court showed Samantha falling to the floor.
Victim impact statements
Natasha's mum, Denise Farrar, read 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," she said. "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."
Ms Farrar said words will never explain a "tenth of what we have gone through", calling Gizzi 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".
Phone messages and other incidents
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 Natasha: "Die and do us all a favour." Natasha called him "beyond cruel".
In another incident at Kinmel Manor Hotel in Abergele, Gizzi pushed Natasha into the hotel pool to humiliate her. Footage was played in court of Gizzi threatening Natasha: "I'm going to absolutely end you. You stupid b****."
Natasha met Katie Crompton at a Wetherspoon's pub in Colwyn Bay on March 25, where she told her friend about the threats and abuse she was subjected to by Gizzi. Natasha said Gizzi held a dumbbell over her head and said if he "dropped it she would be dead". He had also thrown a dumbbell at her and a man called Luke Francis at a gym. Natasha told Katie that Gizzi assaulted her on Valentine's Day in 2026, leaving her with a lump to her head, and she was also assaulted on Mother's Day. The women discussed going to Women's Aid while at Wetherspoons.
At Colwyn Bay Football Club, Gizzi turned up in a Range Rover Discovery. He tore off a rear view mirror of the Mercedes Natasha was driving, then punched her while she was still inside the car. Katie Crompton could see a red mark on her face and a bruise where her seatbelt had been. Gizzi later offered to pay for Katie, possibly to control her too or stop her from reporting the incident.
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.
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. In 2006, when he was 34, he 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. He was ordered to pay back £2.6m under the Proceeds of Crime Act, later reduced to £1m, raised by selling off his assets, including the St Asaph home which sold for £800,000, 20 other mortgage properties, a Rolex watch, and a fleet of luxury cars. He was released after serving three years of a five-and-a-half year sentence.
