‘Danger to women’ Bristol gym owner jailed for assaulting girlfriends

A 40-year-old man has been jailed for more than five years after assaulting two women in his Bristol-based gym.

David Flowers, of Brislington Hill, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on Thursday 17 August after pleading guilty to two counts of causing actual bodily harm, one of false imprisonment and one of criminal damage. He was jailed for five years and seven months for his crimes.

The incidents took place at the Armoury Gym, also known as Real Fitness Gym, in Brislington Hill, which Flowers owns and runs.

The court heard how on 10 September 2021, Flowers became angry at his then-girlfriend and, over a three-hour period, attacked a woman by punching her repeatedly. He made derogatory comments throughout the assault and damaged her belongings.

The victim escaped the assault when a member of staff at the gym arrived. Flowers was arrested and charged and was on court bail to appear in July this year.

While on bail for the first assault, Flowers assaulted his new partner on 22 February this year at the same gym.

He took her phone and punched her, before smashing her phone with a baton. She escaped and was taken by two passers-by to a safe place so she could call the police.

Flowers was arrested the same day and was later charged and remanded into custody.

In his sentencing, Judge Cullum described Flowers as a ‘danger to women’ and emphasised the aggravating nature of the assaults in a domestic context.

Flowers was also directed to abide by two restraining orders, directing him to not contact either of his victims indefinitely. It also bans him from certain areas of Bristol for the next five years.

Alongside the court order, the judge granted a Criminal Behaviour Order to last for 10 years.

The CBO is in place from the date of his sentence and means Flowers must inform police if he changes his address or lives with any woman.

DIO David Nicholls and PC Nate Andrews jointly worked on the case and bringing it before the court. DIO Nicholls said: “Flowers is a violent individual with a history of violence against his partners.

“He used his place of work as a location for his attacks, withheld or damaged their property and left them fearing for their lives.

“He is a dangerous man and is now behind bars where he cannot cause any further harm.

“We would like to commend both victims for their bravery in coming forward. They have shown incredible resilience throughout the criminal process and great courage when hearing the details of each other’s cases at the sentencing hearing.

“We hope this result, including the restraining order, will go a long way to making them feel safer.”