This is the harrowing moment a teenage girl plunged to the ground after being thrown from a 40ft tower block by her violent partner. Jordan Herring, aged 22, hurled his girlfriend from the fourth floor of Merton House in Solihull, Birmingham, shortly after 11.20pm on November 12, 2022.
A Terrifying Ordeal
The victim, who was 18 years old at the time, recounted to police that moments before she tumbled out of the window, Herring issued a chilling warning: 'I will throw you out, I will kill you.' Disturbing CCTV footage, released by West Midlands Police with the victim's consent, captures her falling onto a grass verge below.
Miraculous Survival
Incredibly, the young woman survived the horrific fall. Her head narrowly avoided contact with a concrete pavement by mere inches, a factor that likely saved her life. She was airlifted to hospital, having suffered a collapsed spleen and multiple broken bones, before being discharged a week later.
Court Proceedings and Conviction
This week, Herring was found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm, though he was cleared of attempted murder. He had previously been convicted of coercive and controlling behaviour. Sentencing is scheduled for April 13.
During the trial, Herring denied deliberately trying to kill his ex-partner, claiming instead that she had climbed out of the window rather than fallen. The couple had been in what the victim described as a 'toxic' relationship for approximately eight months at the time of the incident.
A Pattern of Abuse
The court heard that Herring had assaulted her, locked her in a bedroom, and searched through her phone. In the days leading up to the fall, the victim had sustained bruises and black eyes, injuries that concerned her family.
Herring had taken her to his grandmother's home and later to Merton House, where his mother resided. Following the fall, Herring and his mother, Kerrie-Anne Grogan, wrapped the girl in a blanket and carried her back upstairs to the flat. They did not call emergency services until more than an hour had passed.
Delayed Emergency Response
Ms Grogan initially told the call handler that Herring, whom she said was armed with a knife, had prevented her from seeking help sooner. However, she later retracted these allegations while giving evidence, attributing her statements to mental health issues and intoxication on the night.
In his testimony, Herring claimed that he and the victim had been arguing about 'stupid things,' including allegations of cheating, on the night of the incident. The case highlights severe issues of domestic violence and coercive control, with the victim's survival standing as a testament to resilience amid trauma.
