A former cast member of the reality television series "Love Island" is now facing felony domestic violence charges in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office has charged 34-year-old Cashel Barnett with a series of offences, including aggravated assault, a felony, domestic violence in the presence of a child, and two counts of misdemeanor assault, according to FOX13.
The arrest stems from an incident where the victim alleged Barnett picked her up by her neck, slammed her onto a bed, and proceeded to strangle her to the point of not being able to breathe, as reported by KUTV. Allegedly, he then slapped her again. The woman described experiencing symptoms indicative of strangulation, including difficulty breathing, a raspy voice, and several other distressing physical conditions.
Prosecutors have stressed the severity of strangulation in domestic abuse cases, as victims are significantly more likely to face lethal consequences in subsequent encounters with the assailant. As mentioned by ABC4, the state highlighted that "victims who are strangled are 7.5 times more likely to be killed by that same person later on." The gravity of such acts is underscored by the fact that strangulation can lead to loss of consciousness within seconds and potentially fatal outcomes shortly thereafter.
Upon the issuance of an arrest warrant by a judge on Monday, Barnett had not yet been booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. "The State believes that the victim will likely suffer further domestic abuse at the hands of the
defendant should he remain out of custody. Therefore, the State requests that the defendant be booked and held without bail," the prosecution contended, as obtained by ABC4.
