HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, UNITED KINGDOM – JUNE 30, 2015 Danielle Hammond, 21, and John McAleer, 24, were a couple. They were visiting his sister, drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. Some sources say they were using harder drugs, including heroin, but this information is probably not based on truth. In any case, these substances resulted in the couple starting an argument. They started in the hallway and then moved to the balcony to “cool off”.
- Danielle Hammond
- John McAleer 1
- John McAleer 2
McAleer videotaped the situation on the balcony. They appeared to be cool and had cleared up the situation. McAleer goes back into the apartment while Danielle bends down to get something. At that point, McAleer turns around, grabs her leg and throws her over the balcony railing. She falls from a height of 45 feet (14 meters).
She was extremely lucky to land in some bushes and survive the fall. But she suffered permanent damage. She suffered a fractured skull, brain haemorrhage and damage to her internal organs. These injuries permanently limits her daily life and made it impossible for her to care for her 5-year-old son.
McAleer was found guilty of attempted murder by the court in November 2015 and sentenced in April 2016 to 15 years in prison and an additional five years of post-release probation supervision. The judge at the time described him as a very dangerous person. McAleer’s defence was that he claimed he loved his girlfriend and still does and throwing her off the balcony was just an innocent prank while under the influence of drugs which unfortunately had tragic consequences.
In May 2019 there was a retrial and the entire previous sentence was overturned and McAleer was released home from prison. There was reportedly not enough evidence to prove that he intended to kill her. This decision by the court sparked a very controversial public outcry.
READ MORE:
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-34882131
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/brute-who-threw-girlfriend-4th-7673969