Ex-wife 'extremely disappointed' sex choke killer’s prison sentence not increased

The campaigning ex-wife of a man who choked his lover to death while having sex has said she is “extremely disappointed” his sentence has not been increased.

Louise Hewitt said the Court of Appeal decision not to find that Sam Pybus’s prison term of four years and eight months for the manslaughter of Sophie Moss was unduly lenient sends the wrong message to men and women.

The 29-year-old teacher also said she is concerned that choking during sex is being normalised for young people after seeing worrying social media posts about the practice.

Having watched the appeal hearing by video-link, Ms Hewitt said: “It is extremely disappointing.

“It doesn’t reflect the lifetime of grief that he has inflicted on Sophie’s family, especially her two sons who have to grow up with that narrative about their mum.

“It sends out a really clear message to men and women that the rough sex defence is valid and works, even though the Domestic Abuse Act was supposed to abolish it.

“I think it was a very lenient sentence and it places the responsibility on Sophie, which to me is victim blaming and that should not be allowed to happen.”

Ms Hewitt, who had been married to Pybus for almost five years when he killed Ms Moss in February, vowed to continue campaigning about violence against women.

She said: “I would have liked to have thought that today was going to be the end of it but this decision feels like it has kicked the conversation on, they haven’t listened so we will have to shout even louder.

“I feel if I didn’t shout and scream about this, I would regret it.

“I know it is strange for some people that I would want to speak up for Sophie, given the circumstances.

“Sam is responsible for what happened to Sophie, not her.”

Ms Hewitt said it is hard for her to talk in the media about what her husband had done behind her back.

“But it’s nowhere near the grief and disappointment that Sophie’s family will be feeling right now,” she said.

“I get to change my name and step away from it in some way – they don’t get that privilege.”

She said she has seen TikTok videos in which teenage boys boast about choking during sex, and young girls have commented that they want to have it done to them too.

Ms Hewitt said: “That’s the most concerning thing, as a teacher.

“If this becomes more normalised they are going to think this is the right way to have sex, and that is problematic.

“I have been accused of kink-shaming people but men need to start questioning why they get a kick out of strangling and hurting women.”