“Josh Baxter, 28, was found guilty of strangulation and grievous bodily harm after the death of 38-year-old Michael Barron during a sexual encounter in Manchester in January last year — his mother described him as ‘my best friend.’”
In a courtroom tribute, Mary Power paid emotional homage to her aspiring actor son, Michael Barron, who tragically died following an “extreme” sexual encounter with a stranger he met on Grindr. Tearfully, she described him as “my best friend,” as well as “kind, compassionate and very unique.”
Her heartfelt address came just before the sentencing of Josh Baxter, 28, who had invited Mr. Barron, 38, to his flat for drinks, which escalated into a sexual encounter so violent it caused a broken neck bone. In January last year, after exchanging explicit messages on the dating app about rough sex, Baxter lured Mr. Barron to his Blackley, north Manchester, home. There, he bound him with rope and suffocated him for at least 30 minutes, the judge heard.
Mr. Barron died from cardiac arrest caused by oxygen deprivation to the brain, according to the Manchester Evening News. The court was told that both men were part of a community that engaged in kinky sex or BDSM (bondage and discipline; dominance and submission; sadism and masochism). Despite arguments from Baxter’s defence that the acts had been consensual, the judge rejected these claims after hearing moving tributes about Mr. Barron and ruled that Baxter should face a prison sentence.
Baxter, from Lakeside Rise, Blackley, denied charges of manslaughter, intentional strangulation or suffocation, and unlawfully causing grievous bodily harm during last month’s trial. The jury cleared him of manslaughter but convicted him of intentional strangulation or suffocation and unlawfully causing grievous bodily harm.
“I never saw it as a dangerous activity,” Baxter told the jury. “I have never hurt anyone before by doing choking.”
He claimed the neck injury had been accidental, a defence rejected by the jury’s verdict.
On 26 January last year, Baxter and Mr. Barron, who was originally from the Republic of Ireland, connected on Grindr. Their messages initially focused on arranging a ‘hook-up,’ before they discussed a shared interest in a more extreme encounter, the court heard.
Mr. Barron expressed a desire to be “tied, gagged, hooded, totally helpless” and said he enjoyed “pain and torture.” Baxter responded, “I want to get you so drunk you pass out,” and mentioned he had cable ties and rope.
Court proceedings revealed that they also discussed “rape role play,” with Baxter instructing Mr. Barron: “As soon as you get here, start drinking vodka. Get you so drunk.”
During Baxter’s sentencing hearing on Monday at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court, Michael’s mother, Mary Power, delivered a tearful testimony. “Nothing can prepare you for the loss of a child,” she said. “A part of me died, a part of me I will never get back.”
She described her son not only as her child but also as “my best friend,” calling him “kind, compassionate and very unique” and someone who “brightened up my world as soon as he entered it.”
Mary recalled how their bond deepened following the death of his grandmother. The four years they lived together after Covid were a “gift,” she told the court, filled with shared meals, music, and daily moments together.
On Saturday mornings, they enjoyed pancakes, and on other mornings they chatted over tea and coffee. “It wasn’t an extravagant life, but it was so full of love, and it was ours,” Mary said, adding that they felt “warm and comfortable” in each other’s company.
Since Michael’s death, simple shared experiences, like baking lemon drizzle cake, had become “simply too painful,” she said, while also highlighting the many lives her son had touched both locally and in Dublin and Waterford.
“He deserved to feel loved and safe,” Mary said, mourning the conversations they would never have. “I will never stop loving him. I will never stop missing him.”
Michael’s sister, Lisa Power-O’Callaghan, also gave an emotional tribute, describing his death as “a life cut short unnecessarily and a future full of dreams left unfinished.” She added that his “big dream and big ambition” was to become an actor, having already appeared in Hollyoaks and Emmerdale.
Michael’s sister, Lisa Power-O’Callaghan, told the court that her brother truly believed he could “make it” as an actor. He had booked additional acting lessons and new headshots, the court heard.
Lisa described Michael as “our protector and confidante,” adding that since his death, “everything has changed for us.” She said the family was “grief-stricken,” and life now felt “colder, lonelier and incomplete.”
The emotional tributes in court painted a stark contrast to much of the trial testimony, which had focused on a community involved in kinky sex or BDSM (bondage and discipline; dominance and submission; sadism and masochism).
Baxter’s barrister, Rebecca Filletti, argued that the acts had been “consensual” between two adult men experienced in BDSM. She highlighted that Baxter had already served 394 days on remand and should not face further imprisonment. Filletti emphasized that there had been “no intention” to cause harm, noting that the sexual activity had been planned and agreed upon.
While in custody, Baxter had been described as an “exemplary prisoner,” taking on responsibilities such as wing cleaner and welcoming new inmates. His barrister noted he had been raised by his mother, was “unlikely to reoffend,” and had shown “profound remorse” for Mr. Barron’s death.
However, Judge Tina Landale took a far stricter view, sentencing Baxter to four years in prison. She ruled that while the pair may have consented to rough sex, this did not give Baxter the freedom to act recklessly.
The judge noted that a month before the fatal incident, Baxter had been warned about the dangers of choking, including information he could have found online. “You chose to ignore those warnings,” Judge Landale said. “During your trial, you told the jury you still did not consider choking to be dangerous. You encouraged Mr. Barron to become extremely drunk. During sexual activity, you choked him so hard it fractured a bone and cartilage in his neck. You were reckless.”
The judge dismissed Baxter’s claim that he had only compressed Mr. Barron’s neck for a few seconds, stating it contradicted the jury’s verdicts, which found he had foreseen the risk of injury. She also noted his confession to a probation officer that he had “repeatedly” choked Mr. Barron while he was restrained with rope.
“It was sustained suffocation while you were on top of Mr. Barron for at least 30 minutes,” Judge Landale said, rejecting claims that the defendant was remorseful. She added, “During your evidence, you demonstrated no insight into your behaviour or accepted responsibility whatsoever,” and criticized his “poor understanding of consent and limited insight into the risk of harm.”
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