A former gangster has been jailed after a judge condemned his abuse of his partner and her sister as "one of the worst cases" of coercive control. John Gizzi, nicknamed Rhyl's "Mr Big", appeared at Mold Crown Court on Thursday, where he was sentenced to four years in prison for coercive and controlling behaviour against Natasha Farah, known as Tasha. He received a further 11 months for intentionally strangling Tasha's sister, Samantha.
Campaign of abuse
Gizzi subjected Tasha to a catalogue of violent and degrading behaviour, including telling her to "die and do us all a favour" and deliberately ramming her car. His abuse also included pushing Tasha into a hotel swimming pool and throwing her clothes onto a roof after spotting her at a train station.
In April this year, Tasha was found hanged by Gizzi. She suffered catastrophic brain damage and now requires round-the-clock hospital care. Although there is no evidence directly linking Gizzi to the injuries Tasha suffered, Judge Simon Mills described his offending as "one of the worst cases" of domestic and psychological abuse he had encountered.
Threats and messages
Footage was played in court of Gizzi threatening Natasha: "I'm going to absolutely end you. You stupid b****." On April 7, 2026, police seized Gizzi's phone. He initially refused to disclose the device's PIN until well after a deadline. When it was unlocked, messages showed he told her: "Die and do us all a favour." Natasha called him "beyond cruel".
The Farah family spoke of their devastation following the sentencing, describing Gizzi as a "monster" and "the devil in disguise". Tasha's mum, Denise Farah, delivered an emotional victim impact statement to the court, explaining how his actions had affected every member of the family.
Family impact
Denise said: "It is the stuff of extreme nightmares. All our precious lives will never, ever be the same again. There has been pain, grief, anger, torture and intense heartache for my beautiful daughter Natasha. We as a family have been robbed of something so very special."
She told the court that Tasha had been left with life-changing injuries and that seeing her in hospital had been unbearable. Denise added: "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. After being told about brain damage I wanted to smash that room. I wailed in the corridor."
Denise also spoke about the impact of Gizzi's behaviour on her other daughter, Samantha, who was allegedly rammed by his four-wheel-drive vehicle. She said Samantha had become a shadow of her former self, suffering from anxiety and struggling to leave the house. Her relationship had also broken down.
Sentencing details
During the court hearing, prosecutor Elen Owen outlined a series of incidents involving Gizzi, Tasha and Samantha. On one occasion at Colwyn Bay Football Club, Gizzi arrived in a Land Rover Discovery. He had regularly lent expensive vehicles to Tasha, but on this occasion he ripped off the rear-view mirror of the Mercedes she was driving before punching her while she remained inside the car.
Defending, Duncan Bould told the court that Gizzi had expressed regret and accepted responsibility for his violent behaviour and the harm he had caused during the relationship. Judge Mills said Gizzi had a "troubling history" before describing the coercive control offence as "one of the worst cases of coercive control that can be contemplated".
Gizzi, of Cwttir Lane, St Asaph, was also given a four-month prison sentence, to run concurrently, for failing to disclose the PIN for a mobile phone. He was additionally made subject to a restraining order and a domestic abuse protection order, both lasting 15 years.
