Joshua Bowles

2 offences

What the court heard

He pleaded guilty to attempted murder and assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, on 9 March 2023. Sentencing Remarks 1. Joshua Bowles, on 30 August this year you pleaded guilty to attempting to murder a woman who has anonymity by court order because of a potential threat arising from the nature of her work. She is identified on the indictment impersonally as 99230. I will call her Miss B. You also pleaded guilty to the second charge, of assault occasioning actual bodily harm to a man called Alex Fuentes. 2. I adjourned sentence so the court could have the fullest information about you and you could have an opportunity to give or call evidence on a disputed fact. 3. I have seen a pre-sentence report from an experienced Probation Officer, Tracey Coggins dated 25 October 2023, an assessment of you dated 5 August 2023 by Dr M E C Alcock a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist recognised for the purposes of s.12 Mental Health Act and a psychological report dated 23 August 2023 prepared by Dr Robert Halsey a Chartered Consultant Psychologist. Your legal team has prepared a substantial bundle of records taken from the prosecution investigation including the digital records of your internet and other activities, and I also have their detailed written submissions on sentence. The prosecution has provided an Opening Note and their submissions on sentence. I have read all this material and a number of the witness statements, in addition. I have watched the CCTV compilation. I have also read in full the impact statement written by Miss B dated 9 October 2023. 4. On 9 March this year you went to a leisure centre in Cheltenham in your car and waited in the car park. You had with you two knives in a rucksack. At about 9.15pm Miss B and her friend came out of the centre and walked to their car. You ran after them through the dark and attacked Miss B without warning. She thought she was being mugged and dropped her bag but you continued to hit her. She saw the knife you were using to stab at her and she fought you bravely, kicking, punching and screaming loudly. You pushed her to the ground, banging her head. She got up but you kept going for her. Her friend was hitting you with her bag and shouting. You dropped your knife which broke. 5. Alex Fuentes, who had just arrived in the car park intervened and asked you what was going on, you began punching him in the face. This distraction enabled Miss B and her friend to run away into the…

Aggravating and mitigating factors

Planned / Premeditated / Degree of Planning; Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) / Asperger Syndrome (AS); Mental Health - Bipolar Disorder / Depression / Depressive disorder / Depressive episode; Politically motivated

Around this case

• Central Criminal Court Crown Court
• Prosecuted by Crown Prosecution Service