Bury thug Bobby Jo Hardman jailed after vicious attack on late girlfriend

After being released from prison on licence last year, mum Charissa Brown-Wellington, 36, met Bobby Jo Hardman, from Bury, online and they started a relationship.

They began living together but Hardman became aggressive and controlling towards her, cutting her off from her loved ones, prosecutor Vanessa Thomson told Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

On one occasion when the pair were in a pub, he became “jealous” and started “screaming and pulling her hair”, Ms Thomson said.

He often aired “racist views” and was “horrible” about Charissa being part-Asian, the court heard.

By living with Hardman, Charissa, who was described as being a "vulnerable" person, breached her licence conditions and was set to go back to prison which she was said to be “pretty happy” about so she could escape him and move on.

But on the weekend starting Friday, January 28 this year, Hardman stepped up his aggression and violently assaulted her.

Concerned about her daughter’s welfare, Charissa’s mum Sue, who did not know where she was living, called the police and it was discovered the couple had been staying “intermittently” at Hardman’s grandmother’s home that weekend.

But it was not clear where they were at the time.

On February 1, one of Hardman’s friends called round to where the couple were staying and was disgusted to see Charissa had suffered a broken nose among other facial injuries.

The friend told him she did not “want to be friends with a man who did this”.

The following day, Wednesday, February 2, it was feared Charissa was being held against her will.

That afternoon, Hardman said he tried to resuscitate her after finding her unconscious behind a bathroom door at a property on Gorse Bank in Bury before she was taken to Fairfield General Hospital.

When Sue arrived at hospital her daughter had died.

Charissa Brown-Wellington (Image: GMP)

A murder investigation was launched and Hardman was one of three men arrested.

But a postmortem examination report by pathologist Dr Philip Lumb concluded Charissa had died after an overdose.

The cause of death was reported as multiple drug toxicity with a combination of illicit and prescribed medication.

Dr Lumb also found she had suffered extensive injuries on her face including the broken nose and across her body.

It was not possible to determine if the injuries had been inflicted in the course of one sustained attack or numerous assaults.

But Dr Lumb said there were no serious injuries such as a bleed on the brain which contributed to her death.

Hardman was later charged with assault and false imprisonment of Charissa and pleaded guilty.

Police at the scene in Bury

In an emotional victim impact statement Sue read out in court about her daughter’s death, she said: “We were heartbroken seeing what he had done to her, all the bruises.

“We cannot unsee what we have seen. Me and my family will miss her forever.

“We had plans to go back into education together and to help her children make successes of themselves.

“I am determined to still do this, and when I do, I will do it with my daughter in mind.

“He (Hardman) is evil, pure and simple.”

Sue added that she believes Charissa would have still been alive if she had not been in a relationship with Hardman and regrets not doing more to help her daughter.

READ > Man jailed for false imprisonment and assault after death of partner

Ms Thomson mentioned details of his criminal background, which included numerous assaults such as domestic violence against a partner, along with drug offences.

Defending Hardman, Michael Lea said the defendant has been suffering with the loss of Charissa, which made him "extremely upset".

He also has mental health issues and is dealing with drug use, Mr Lea said.

Addressing Hardman, 33, of Broadoaks, Bury, who was appearing in court via a videolink from prison, Judge Angela Nield told him “she was satisfied that you present a significant risk of harm” and that she would need to “protect the public” by jailing him.

For false imprisonment - considered to be in a 24-hour period - and actual bodily harm, he was sentenced to four years with another two years on licence.