'My ex left me covered in blood in brutal attack... but didn't go to jail'

A man from Bolton was left 'covered in blood' after a vicious attack at the hands of his ex-boyfriend. Viktor Fothergill said he felt 'let down' by the justice system over his former partner's sentence after he avoided jail.

Viktor, 26, was rushed to hospital following the attack in January 2023, where was left with bloodied wounds to his hands before fleeing the apartment 'wearing only his underwear.' Bleeding, he claims he then ran down four flights of stairs, desperately knocking on doors trying to find someone who could help him.

His former boyfriend, Christopher Nicholls, 28, was originally charged with Section 18 wounding with intent to which he pleaded not guilty.

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At Birmingham Crown Court, Nicholls pleaded guilty to the less serious charge of unlawful wounding (Section 20 GBH) and received a suspended 21-month suspended sentence and 150 hours of community service - meaning the case was never tried in a courtroom, BirminghamLive reports.

Viktor, who said he felt 'let down' by the justice system, believes the punishment was 'inadequate'. He claimed the CPS said it accepted the Section 20 plea because of the difficulties around proving 'intent' in court.

The Bolton-born bar worker has now bravely shared his story to raise awareness of abuse in same-sex relationships and to call for greater support for victims throughout the legal process.

"It was horrific," Viktor, who now lives in Birmingham, said. "I was covered in blood but I managed to find my way out to someone who could call the police.

"When you're in the middle of it you don't realise how bad things are until you find your way out. There was so much manipulation - it's a lot harder for me to trust people now."

Viktor's ex-partner was originally charged by police with a Section 18 GBH charge - the most serious form of assault also known as 'wounding with intent'. But Viktor said the CPS accepted a Section 20 guilty plea, meaning his case was never heard by a jury.

"It didn't feel fair," Viktor said. "He attacked me but there were no repercussions for a year until the trial date, the whole process was dragged out.

"He pleaded guilty so we didn't actually go into the courtroom. It was very annoying especially considering I'd been waiting over a year for that day.

"The CPS were great, they were all really nice people, but he deserved a tougher punishment. More support for victims going through the process is so important."

In sharing his story, Viktor said he hoped to shine a light on abuse within same-sex relationships. He said he believes that these cases don't always receive the attention they deserve, leaving many victims feeling isolated and unsupported.

He added: "When people picture an abusive relationship, they usually picture a heterosexual relationship with a helpless girl and an abusive partner - but that's not always the case.

"Abuse can take lots of different forms, it could be girl on guy, guy on guy, or girl on girl. Abuse can happen to anyone in any relationship, you never know when it's going to happen."

On April 25, Nicholls, from Bewdley in Worcestershire, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding contrary to Section 20 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861. He was sentenced to 21 months, suspended for two years, and required to undertake 150 hours of community service. A restraining order lasting five years has also been put in place.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson said: "Christopher Nicholls pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and was given a 21-month sentence suspended for two years.

"The CPS successfully applied for a restraining order which prevents him from contacting the victim or going near his address. We take breaches of orders extremely seriously, and if Nicholls attempts to contact the victim or go near their address, he will face up to five years in prison."