A former actor who appeared in the soap operas Emmerdale and Hollyoaks has died during an 'extreme' sex session that involved rope and suffocation. The man he met online has been jailed for intentional strangulation.
Michael Barron, who had roles in both ITV shows, connected with Josh Baxter, 28, on the dating app Grindr. The pair exchanged explicit messages before meeting at Baxter's flat.
During the encounter, Baxter tied Barron up with rope and suffocated him for at least 30 minutes. The prosecution said Baxter had 'quite specific sexual interests' and that the two had discussed their sexual preferences and limits beforehand.
Baxter was found not guilty of manslaughter but guilty of intentional strangulation or suffocation and unlawfully inflicting grievous bodily harm. Sentencing him, Judge Tina Lindale said: 'You encouraged Mr Barron to become extremely drunk. During sexual activity you choked Mr Barron so hard it fractured a bone and cartilage in his neck. You were reckless in doing so.'
The judge noted that Baxter had told the jury he still did not consider choking to be dangerous, despite warnings. Baxter's barrister argued that he never intended harm and did not imagine Mr Barron would come to harm.
