Man who restrained and suffocated his date convicted of grievous bodily harm and intentional suffocation

A man has been found guilty of intentional suffocation and inflicting grievous bodily harm after he restrained, choked and suffocated his date during a fatal encounter.

Josh Baxter, 28, was convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm and intentional suffocation, following at trial at Minshull Street Crown Court. He was acquitted of manslaughter.

After talking on an online dating app, the two men were at Baxter’s flat when Baxter strangled Michael Barron with such force that he fractured a bone in his neck.

Michael sadly died having suffered a lack of oxygen to the brain, causing a cardiac arrest.

Instead of immediately calling the emergency services, Baxter began searching online about the likelihood of going to prison and left the flat to collect a takeaway delivery.

Karen Tonge, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Baxter was clearly motivated by high-risk sexual activity.

“Baxter compressed Michael’s airway with such force that he broke a bone in his neck.

“When Baxter noticed signs that Michael might be dead, he showed no concern for Mr Barron’s welfare. He began searching the consequences of his actions online and even left his flat to collect a takeaway order.

“Our thoughts remain with Mr Barron’s family who have displayed immense dignity throughout this difficult time.”

Professor Cath White, Medical Director at the Institute for Addressing Strangulation (IFAS), said: “This case highlights the extreme and often underestimated dangers of strangulation and suffocation.

"Restricting a person’s breathing, even briefly, can cause catastrophic injury or death, including brain injury, cardiac arrest and fatal damage to the neck structures.

"It is important to be clear that consent does not remove the medical risks, nor does it override the law. Strangulation can rapidly render a person unconscious and unable to signal distress or withdraw consent, making it inherently dangerous.

"This conviction reflects the medical reality we see repeatedly: strangulation is not a benign act. It is a serious act with potentially fatal consequences.”

Consent

Consent was an important factor in the case. It was clear from the phone messages that Mr Barron consented to being choked before the sexual encounter. However, consent must be ongoing, and the law imposes boundaries to protect people.

There is no law that allows an individual to consent to an assault that causes them serious harm, such as a fracture to the neck. It is also illegal to restrict a person’s ability to breathe if that person suffers serious harm.

Joshua Baxter took steps to deliberately restrict Mr Barron’s ability to breathe at a time when he was defenceless, creating an obvious risk of serious harm.

Having heard all the evidence, the jury at found Baxter guilty of causing grievous bodily harm and intentional strangulation or suffocation.

Baxter will be sentenced at the same court on 24 February 2026.