A council leader is facing allegations that he kicked, punched, spat at and throttled women. Jonathan Nunn, of West Northamptonshire Council, is also accused of threatening or controlling behaviour. The BBC has heard exclusive accounts from five women. Four had relationships with Mr Nunn between 1990 and 2013.
The 59-year-old told the BBC he “strenuously denies” the allegations and said “domestic abuse is never acceptable”.
A long-serving Tory councillor, Mr Nunn was elected to lead the county’s newly formed unitary authority in 2021.Until recently, the only evidence of an allegedly violent nature was Mr Nunn’s conviction in 2004 for assaulting his then wife, Janice Nunn, for which he received a community order.
After the attack, police said Mrs Nunn, 50, had bruising to her shoulder, arms, chest, back, buttocks and legs.
A medical practitioner also found she had been dragged by her hair.Mrs Nunn told the BBC she suffered repeatedly during their two-year marriage and described her husband as “the angriest person” she had ever met. She said on one occasion he “changed in a heartbeat from being chatty to throwing me over”.
“I went to A&E and was diagnosed with a fractured rib,” she saidMrs Nunn said on the night of the assault, in November 2003, Mr Nunn “punched and slapped” her for speaking to other men so she ran from their house in Olympia Close, Northampton.Halfway across the street, in full view of the neighbours, he launched himself, dragged me to the floor and began kicking me everywhere,” she said.
Mrs Nunn said she managed to take refuge in the house of a neighbour, Paula Johnson, 60, who has also spoken to the BBC.
“Jon barged in and was absolutely furious, shouting, ‘you think you can protect my wife?’.” Ms Johnson said. I remember standing in front of the sofa where Jan was and he was still trying to go for her and accusing her of all sorts.
“Then he put his hands around my throat, and was squeezing really tightly.Ms Johnson said she was terrified and could not escape until her husband came down the stairs. She said: “When the police arrived… he suddenly changed and said ‘Good evening, I’m Jonathan Nunn’.
Source: BBC
In other news – Scotland to ditch key climate change target
The Scottish government is to ditch its flagship target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2030. The final goal of reaching “net-zero” by 2045 will remain, but BBC Scotland News understands the government’s annual climate targets could also go.
Ministers have missed eight of the last 12 annual targets and have been told that reaching the 75% milestone by the end of the decade is unachievable. Read more
