Hollyoaks actor died after ‘extreme’ sex session with Grindr date who tied up and strangled him for 30 minutes

A Hollyoaks actress has died after being restrained and strangled during an ‘extreme’ sex session with her Grindr date.

Michael Barron, 38, went to Josh Baxter’s flat in Blackley, North Manchester, in January 2025 after the pair exchanged explicit messages online.

During the encounter, Baxter choked Michael with such force that he broke a bone and cartilage in his neck.

Baxter also held Michael face down on his bed with a rope and lay on top of him for ‘an extended period’, causing him to suffocate.

The lack of oxygen to Michael’s brain caused him to have a heart attack and unfortunately he died.

Instead of immediately calling 999, Baxter began researching the possibility of going to prison online and left his home to get a takeaway.

He was found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm and intentional strangulation and was sentenced to four years in prison. He was acquitted of manslaughter.

Baxter has previously denied all charges against him.

When Mr Barron arrived at the flat at 4.27pm on January 26 last year, they chatted about ‘general things’, including their favorite films.

The conversation quickly turned to sex and what their ‘limits’ are. Baxter claimed Mr Barron said he did not want a ‘safe word’.

In the evening both men tried to find some ketamine, then went to a store to buy more alcohol.

The last time Mr Barron’s phone was used was at 5.45pm where a brief conversation with the drug dealer was heard.

Between 7-7.56pm, Baxter also stopped using his phone. Prosecutors said it could reasonably be inferred that they had sex during this time.

The court heard Baxter held Mr Barron face down on his bed and lay on top of him for ‘an extended period’.

Miss Whyte said: ‘At one stage he was strangled, it appeared as if he had been held face down by his wrists and ankles throughout the sexual activity.

‘We know from a police search of the scene that the sex involved Mr Barron being fitted with a makeshift mask.’

At 7.56pm, as Mr Barron lay in bed, Baxter messaged other Grindr users.

Baxter said he noticed Mr Barron’s face was bruised but could hear snoring, so he believed Mr Barron was not in ‘medical trouble’.

At around 9pm Baxter ordered two chicken burgers, fries and onion rings from Deliveroo.

After collecting food from downstairs, Baxter said Mr Barron’s face turned ‘dark purple’ and he could no longer hear snoring.

He searched the internet for things like ‘bruise on the face while sleeping’, ‘how to tell if someone is alive’ and ‘how to tell if someone is breathing’.

He called 999 and Mr Barron was instructed to perform CPR.

In the early hours of January 27, he Googled ‘is it illegal to fuck someone even in their sleep?’ [sic]’; and ‘if you accidentally choke someone to death during sex, you will go to jail’.

Prosecutor Anne Whyte KC told the hearing Baxter had ‘quite specific sexual interests’ and mentioned this to Mr Barron in his message on Grindr after they made the connection.

Baxter said he enjoyed the “rough” situation and asked if he would allow Mr Barron to “strangle her, tie her up, pull her hair, spit on her, call her names, get her drunk enough to leave her weak and defenseless, and punch her”. He also asked whether Mr Barron would ‘play the rape role’.

Ms Whyte said: ‘In other words, Josh Baxter was sexually motivated by high-risk sexual activity.’

In the messages, Baxter and Mr. Barron discussed their sexual likes and dislikes; Mr Barron stated that he loved being ‘bound, gagged, hooded, completely helpless’ and that he loved ‘pain and torture’.

Ms Whyte said: ‘We see Mr Baxter telling Mr Barron that when he arrived at Mr Baxter’s flat Mr Barron would start drinking vodka until he was so drunk he could barely walk.

‘Mr Baxter then said he would strip her and begin raping and abusing her. Mr Barron agreed and said Mr Baxter could also force him to eat vodka.’

Prosecutors said that although Mr Barron consented to some of the actions, it was ‘no defence’ if Baxter foresaw the risk that what he was doing would affect Mr Barron’s breathing and that he could suffer serious harm as a result.

“We think he anticipated the risk and took it unreasonably because the risks and control involved were part of the very specific sexual activity in which he wished to engage,” Ms Whyte KC said.

Baxter’s lawyer, Louise Sweet KC, said in her closing statement: ‘He [Mr Baxter] He says that if there is a possibility that he may have contributed to Mr Barron’s death, it was not intended by him and that he never in a million years imagined that harm would come to him and therefore it was not reckless.’

Baxter claimed the conversations were ‘fantasy’ and that he never intended to harm Mr Barron.

Josh Baxter (28), of Lakeside Rise, Blackley, was today jailed for four years

Asked about drowning, he added: ‘I have never considered it a dangerous activity.’ He claimed the injury was accidental.

Speaking about Baxter’s online searches, Ms Sweet said he was in a state of ‘real trauma’.

‘There is no normal reaction, just shock, disbelief, anxiety, numbness and fear,’ he added.

‘He was afraid of what people would think about what he and Mr. Barron were doing.’

During sentencing at Minshull Crown Court on Tuesday, Judge Tina Landale said Baxter had arranged to meet Mr Baxter ‘with the intention of having excessive sexual intercourse’.

The judge said he believed the defendant was “aware of the danger of drowning” and “decided to ignore” the warnings he received about the practice.

Baxter had ‘encouraged’ his victim to become ‘extremely drunk’.

He also said Baxter admitted to a probation officer that he strangled Mr Barron “repeatedly” while he was face down with a rope.

Judge Landale added that although the encounter was consensual, Parliament held that such activity was “inherently dangerous” and “the public must be protected from serious injury or unreasonable risk”.

He ‘rejected’ the defendant’s claim that he was remorseful.

Judge Landale said: ‘During your evidence you showed no insight into your conduct or accepted any responsibility whatsoever.’

He added that the defendant showed ‘a poor understanding of consent and a limited understanding of the risk of harm’.

Following the case, senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Matthew Hamer, from GMP’s Serious Crime Section, said: ‘No sentence can replace the loss of a loved one, but we hope that now that the trial is over the family can start to move forward.

‘Baxter had a complete disregard for Michael’s welfare, instead putting his own interests ahead of notifying the emergency services.

‘I hope that time spent in custody will give him the opportunity to reflect on the consequences of his actions following Michael’s death.’

His family said in a statement: Michael’s tragic loss has devastated our family and left a void that can never be filled.

‘Michael had such a big personality and infectious energy. He was kind, sincere, unique, charismatic and extremely full of life, love and ambition. He was a natural storyteller and could capture the attention of anyone in a room within minutes using just his wit and humor.

‘Michael meant a lot to so many people; He was a wonderful son, brother and uncle. Above all, he was a great friend with a unique ability to make people feel noticed and special, and he would gladly go out of his way to lift the spirits of someone who was feeling down.

Growing up as a gay man in Ireland in the ’90s and 2000s wasn’t easy, but rather than hiding who he was, Michael lived both loudly and proudly. Her self-acceptance helped pave the way for others in the LGBT community. Although he left his family behind when he left Waterford, he started a family of his own thanks to his friendships in Dublin, Liverpool and Manchester.

‘Since Michael’s death we have received countless messages from friends throughout his life, all expressing the same sentiment. It gave people confidence, strength and pride in who they were. He taught others to stand tall, embrace life fully, and live with joy and openness.

‘As Michael’s family, we couldn’t be more proud of the man he is. We are so grateful for the years we shared with him and the many happy memories we will carry with us and cherish for the rest of our lives.

‘Now that the trial is over, we can finally begin to try, move forward, and process our pain. ‘We are deeply touched and grateful for the love, support and kindness we have received.’