Michael Barron’s mother pays tribute as court hears details of 'extreme' sex session that ended in his death
michael barron’s mother delivered an emotional courtroom tribute on Monday as judges and jurors heard how the 38-year-old actor died after an 'extreme' sexual encounter with a man he met on Grindr. The hearing at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court also set out the sequence of messages and instructions exchanged before the fatal meeting in Blackley, north Manchester.
How the men connected on 26 January
On 26 January last year, Baxter and Mr Barron connected on Grindr and began discussing a potential hook-up that moved quickly into talk of a more extreme experience. The court heard the pair exchanged explicit messages in which Mr Barron said he preferred being 'tied, gagged, hooded, totally helpless' and that he enjoyed 'pain and torture'. Baxter told him: "I want to get you so drunk you pass out, " and mentioned having cable ties and rope. The pair also discussed 'rape role play'.
What happened at the flat in Blackley
Baxter invited Mr Barron, 38, to his flat in Blackley for drinks and sex that the court was told became violent. The session left Mr Barron with a broken bone in his neck after he was suffocated for at least 30 minutes. Medical evidence read in court said he died from a cardiac arrest due to oxygen deprivation to the brain.
Court verdicts and charges
Baxter, from Lakeside Rise, Blackley, denied charges covering manslaughter, intentional strangulation or suffocation, and unlawfully inflicting grievous bodily harm. A jury acquitted him of manslaughter but found him guilty of intentional strangulation or suffocation and unlawfully inflicting grievous bodily harm. The judge rejected arguments that Baxter should avoid a prison sentence on the basis the acts were consensual.
Michael Barron’s mother gives an emotional tribute
During the sentencing hearing on Monday, Mary Power told the court how her son had been her best friend and how his death had left her devastated. She described him as "kind, compassionate and very unique" and said he "brightened up my world as soon as he entered it. " In the hearing she said: "Nothing can prepare you for the loss of a child. A part of me died, a part of me I will never get back. "
Defendant's statements and trial testimony
At trial, Baxter told jurors: "I never saw it as a dangerous activity. I have never hurt someone before, doing choking. " He also insisted the neck injury was inflicted accidentally, a claim the jury rejected. The court was told both men were part of a community interested in kinky sex or BDSM, and that the pair had discussed role play and drink; Baxter instructed Mr Barron: "As soon as you get here, start drinking vodka. Get you so drunk. "
michael barron was 38 when he died. The court heard details of his final messages and the preparations discussed before the meeting.
Following his grandmother's passing, the pa — unclear in the provided context.
The sentencing hearing took place at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court on Monday; the sentence to be imposed or any further judicial timetable is unclear in the provided context.
