MAN GUILTY SERIOUSLY ASSAULTING GIRLFRIEND
A former partner at a Cornish letting agency who was previously imprisoned for harassment against former colleagues has pleaded guilty to a serious assault on his ex-partner, changing his plea at the start of his trial.Gareth Wills, residing at Old Well Gardens in Penryn, appeared at Truro Crown Court on Thursday, May 7, facing a single charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm towards his former girlfriend on December 8, 2025.
Initially scheduled for trial, Wills entered a guilty plea during re‑arraignment in the dock, a plea that was accepted by the prosecution.
The judge, Simon Carr, informed the legal representatives that the case was classified as category B1 on the assault guidelines, which suggests a starting point of 18 months in prison and a sentencing range of 36 weeks to two years.
Despite noting that Wills pleaded guilty late in the process, the judge indicated that due to current sentencing policies, any custodial sentence would likely be less than 12 months, and he ordered a pre‑sentence report to ascertain any rehabilitative measures.
Court proceedings revealed that Wills has an alarming history of harassment convictions, linked to a business dispute, with no prior convictions for violence or domestic offenses.
Judge Carr adjourned the sentencing until June 12 to enable the probation service to prepare the report.
He also confirmed that Wills’s existing bail conditions would remain in place and instructed him to cooperate fully with probation officers, speaking with them before leaving court.
Wills is required to return to Truro Crown Court on the scheduled date for sentencing.
In 2022, Wills, known as a co‑founder of the Lewis Haughton Wills estate agency with locations in Falmouth, Penryn, and Truro, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for harassment and multiple breaches of restraining orders, including posting abusive and threatening videos about former colleagues on social media.
He further appeared before magistrates in 2024 for breaching another restraining order through social media, resulting in a fine and an additional order banning him from contacting or commenting about two individuals and a Falmouth gym online.
