Army sniper who beat up and throttled his model girlfriend is spared jail after telling judge he is suffering PTSD from being deployed to Afghanistan aged 18

• Ex British Army sniper Junior Fordwor, 26, beat up girlfriend Stephanie Render
• Following a series of jealous rages, the 27-year-old victim spoke to police
• Fordwor admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and criminal damage at Manchester Crown Court
• He was given a suspended sentence after judge heard he suffered from PTSD

A former British Army sniper who beat up and throttled his girlfriend during a series of jealous rages has been spared jail after arguing he was haunted by horrors he had witnessed whilst serving in Afghanistan.

Junior Fordwor, 26, described as a ‘manipulative narcissist,’ belittled and abused 27-year old cosmetics model Stephanie Render – on the most serious incident he left her unconscious for a few seconds by strangling her. 

But he has avoided being jailed after a judge accepted he was suffering PTSD following his army experiences. 

In one incident ex-Infantryman Fordwor pushed Miss Render to the floor of her apartment in a fit of fury after spotting she had liked another man’s picture on Instagram.

In another, he trashed her kitchen and threatened to kill Miss Render before choking her as she lost consciousness.

During a third outburst he threw her against a bedpost and smashed up her TV.

Former British Army sniper Junior Fordwor beat up and throttled his girlfriend in a series of rages

Stephanie Render was pushed to the floor of her apartment after Fordwor spotted she had liked another man’s picture on Instagram in one incident

At Manchester Crown Court, Fordwor, from Higher Broughton, Salford, who served with the Royal Fusiliers faced jail after he admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and criminal damage.

But he was given 21-months imprisonment suspended for two years after a judge accepted he was suffering PTSD following his army experiences. 

He was also ordered to pay Miss Render £380 compensation, ordered to complete 25 rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work.

The court heard he has since attained a 2:1 degree in law at Liverpool John Moores University.

Fordwor, from Higher Broughton, Salford, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, common assault and criminal damage

The defendant met Miss Render online in April 2020 through a dating app but the relationship became official a year later

Miss Render who works in Manchester eventually gave a statement to police after her mother alerted the authorities following the final incident. 

She said: ‘Junior was my boyfriend for two years, it was on and off for a while and there was a lot of game playing but we finally got together after I transferred to Manchester.

‘His narcissistic traits made me feel like I was always the problem. He lied to me a lot. I have to mention the love I had for Junior and I was heartbroken by the whole affair.’

‘Now these days I still think about it, maybe not as much as before. Time is helping in the healing process. 

‘I have definitely changed since then and will never let anyone manipulate me like he did and I certainly won’t let anyone lay their hands on me like he did.’

Betsy Hindle, prosecuting said: ‘The defendant met Miss Render online in April 2020 through a dating app but the relationship didn’t formalise until April 2021.

‘However he regularly met her at her apartment in Salford and he eventually moved into a flat with her. 

‘The first incident of violence occurred on the 21st of September 2021 when the defendant became jealous after seeing Miss Render like another man’s picture on Instagram. This led to a violent outburst, where he shouted at Render and pushed her to the floor.

‘Immediately after this, he denied assaulting her and instead of asking if she was OK he belittled her.

Fordwor served with the Royal Fusiliers and a court heard he suffered PTSD from his experiences

‘The second incident, was the most serious throughout the relationship. On the 20th of November 2021, Miss Render had been on a night out in Manchester with her friends. 

‘The defendant had been contacting her repeatedly asking where she was and what time she would be back. He also sent pictures of him on her balcony, in an effort to exert control over her.

‘Miss Render went back with her friend to her house and charged her phone so she could reply to the defendant. She told the defendant where she was and he subsequently decided to turn up to the friend’s address and wait outside.

‘Miss Render decided to go outside to talk to the defendant, against the advice of her friend. The defendant was then aggressive with her and shouted at her repeatedly. He also poked her hard in the chest and slapped her around the face.

‘When both of them got back to the flat, the defendant wrecked her kitchen and threw items from the worktops on the floor. At one point he even tipped cereal on the floor so to show control.

‘After this, the defendant threatened to kill Miss Render and then put his hands around her neck and strangled her. She lost consciousness for a few seconds.’

She continued: ‘He assaulted Render again on the 5th of December 2021. The defendant saw that Render received a message from a male friend on her phone and he responded by throwing her to the floor and then grabbed the back of her neck and threw her against a bedpost.

‘Finally, on the 12th December 2021, the defendant turned up to the flat unannounced and was instantly verbally abusive to Miss Render. He punched her TV, causing permanent damage, and threw various items around the flat.’

‘After this final incident Render’s mother called the police to the flat and the defendant was arrested. Upon arriving at the flat, the police also found a zip bag of cannabis that the defendant accepted was his. Miss Render had secretly filmed some of the incidents on video, and these were used in evidence.’

Miss Render who works in Manchester eventually gave a statement to police after her mother alerted authorities

Fordwor initially denied wrongdoing, claiming self defence or that Miss Render had suffered accidental injury but changed his pleas on the day of trial.

In mitigation defence counsel Charlotte Atherton said: ‘The question for the court is how a young man in his twenties studying law at John Moores University end up in a situation like this. He has limited emotional maturity and difficulty with thinking skills.

‘He had a traumatic childhood in which he lost his mother to drugs and his father to the prison system, who was dealing drugs. This led to him being put in the care of his grandmother, who used violence as a form of discipline.

‘When this violence became apparent he was taken into the care of social services at the young age of 13. To make matters worse he later witnessed one of his childhood friends commit suicide.

‘He left school with one GCSE and decided to join the army at 16. He remained a member of the Royal Fusiliers until the age of 22. During his service, he worked as a specialist infantryman in reconnaissance and sniping.

‘He was also stationed in Afghanistan at 18 and this had a profound impact on his mental health. He went AWOL and, as the army later confirmed, suffered PTSD from his experiences.

‘After being discharged from the army, he went to study at Bolton university and took all 30 credits of his GCSE qualification. He then won a place to study law at Manchester Metropolitan University and later transferred to Liverpool John Moores where I can reveal he recently achieved a 2:1 class law degree.’

‘He pleaded guilty knowing that this would extinguish any chance of him pursuing a future career in law but I am told that he now also wants to study economics. He has admitted that the cannabis is in fact his and that he used to use it intermittently to help him get to sleep when he struggled with his PTSD.

‘This is a man who can take positive steps and when given challenges he can rise to them.’

On the 12th December 2021, the defendant turned up to the flat unannounced and was instantly verbally abusive to Miss Render (pictured)

In sentencing, Judge Elizabeth Nicholls, told Fordwor: ‘These matters show a disturbing pattern of violence that you subjected your ex-partner to. In the evidence, you seem to be very much in control and visibly unpleasant towards Ms Render.

‘You were undoubtedly affected by the violence you witnessed in Afghanistan but perhaps the greatest irony of this case is that you were there to fight for the freedom of women but when you came home you showed very little respect for the women you went out to protect.

‘This was not an isolated experience or episode either.’

‘However, I do see you as a prime candidate for rehabilitation, as shown by your recent academic endeavours. Unless you address these issues, no relationship you get into will ever work and it is likely that you will end up in front of the court again.

‘The court as I am sure you are aware is deeply disturbed when young men use strangulation as a way of control. The future is in your hands.’

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