Woman lived in fear of ex-solicitor’s violence
Jail for monster who beat victim and threatened her son during a five-year campaign of terror
He stripped me of all my self confidence around other people. I used to be a very outgoing person Gail Birch
AFORMER solicitor attacked his terrified partner more than 20 times during a fiveyear campaign of abuse, threatening to chop her into bits.
Anthony Lansdell frequently lashed out at Gail Birch after he had been drinking.
On numerous occasions he choked her, shoved her up against cupboards and threw her to the floor.
Lansdell, 60, from Selly Park, Birmingham, completely isolated her from her family and threatened to “break every bone” in her son’s body after he became suspicious and concerned.
Miss Birch started to dread leaving her own home in fear of what lay in wait when she returned if Lansdell had been drinking all day.
Ultimately, she tried taking her own life because it was “my only way out of this horrible situation”.
After finally being arrested, Lansdell bluntly admitted what he had done, saying he struck her to “stop the arguments”.
He pleaded guilty to coercive and controlling behaviour but claimed “I’m not a bully, I’m a nice person”.
The former personal injury solicitor, with multiple convictions for theft to his name, is now behind bars after he was jailed for three years at Birmingham Crown Court.
Miss Birch spoke at the hearing, revealing that Lansdell had left her devoid of confidence.
She said: “I lived in constant fear for the majority of time during the relationship with the defendant.
“I dreaded returning home most days as I knew he would have been drinking all day and the verbal and mental abuse would continue through to the early hours of the morning.
“I dreaded any members of family visiting me as this used to greatly upset him and I would suffer greatly at the hands of the defendant once my visitors had left the house.
“I have been made to feel as a person, useless, hopeless, and totally confused which has led me to feel an extreme lack of self esteem and low confidence with everything.”
Her son Daniel Birch and his partner Faye Manners also gave emotional statements laying bare the toll the abuse has had on them as Lansdell sought to drive a wedge between the family.
Miss Birch originally met him online and travelled up to his native Yorkshire to visit before he moved in to her Bournville home. But the alarm bells started ringing when she noticed empty wine bottles in the bin.
Prosecutor Christopher Johnston said: “The violence started after about nine months into the relationship. He was drinking and getting more intoxicated. He came over to where she was and slapped her across the face. Since then she has been slapped 20 to 25 times, causing swelling and bruising to the face.”
The court heard Miss Birch sustained a bloodied nose and loosened teeth in a bedroom attack, while on other occasions she was pushed into a wall, thrown to the floor and strangled up to four times.
Towards the end of July she wanted to call the police but Lansdell issued a chilling warning.
Mr Johnston told the court: “He said ‘you better not. I’ll kill you, cut your body up into small bits and put them into a black bag and put them in the bin’.
“The offender said ‘I’m not a bully, I’m a nice person’.”
The victim was forced to hide her mobile phone behind cushions but
Lansdell always found it and then threaten to “knock her head off and beat her to a pulp” if she did not give him the pin number.
Her son, Daniel, came to live with them for a couple of weeks and witnessed the defendant “persistently put down” his mother who he observed becoming more reclusive and even less hygiene-conscious.
He stated his concerns began when he noticed bruises on her face which she blamed on falls and recalled the moment he found his mother after she had attempted to take her own life.
Daniel soon came to be in the direct line of fire of the defendant who threatened to “beat him to death” unless he stayed away.
Mercifully, Lansdell was arrested in August last year. He was intoxicated at the time.
Mr Johnston said: “He admitted slapping Gail Birch. Over the course of the relationship he slapped her about twice a month, never below her face.
“He used his none-jewellery hand. On occasion he remembered seeing bruising from an assault.
“He accepted pushing had occurred. He cornered the victim, holding up her hands, ensuring something soft was behind her.
“He said he was sorry and understood violence was not the answer. He said he slapped her to stop the arguments that were happening.
“He accepted he had been drinking vodka. He denied he was a bully. He said he was an intellectual bully.”
Niall Skinner, defending, stated drink played a part in Lansdell’s abusive behaviour but declared he was not an alcoholic.
He said the relationship had gone wrong, but it was not all bad and added: “He has been remanded into custody ever since. It has allowed him to reflect upon his actions.
“He’s an intelligent man, an ex solicitor in the field of personal injury. He’s made bad decisions in the past.
“He makes it perfectly clear there is no future in this relationship. It is totally over from both sides. He is moving back to his native north west England.
“He has already paid a heavy price. He can’t remain in custody forever.”
Judge Roderick Henderson, passing sentence, said: “Even now you continue to minimise your responsibility and you have nothing like proper recognition of how serious this is.”
A five-year restraining order was also imposed.