In a shocking turn of events, Gareth Pursehouse, the ex-boyfriend of renowned marriage and sex therapist Amie Harwick, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The sentencing comes as a result of Pursehouse's conviction for the first-degree murder of Harwick, who tragically met her demise in a deadly plunge from the third-floor balcony of her Hollywood Hills home on February 15, 2020.

After two days of deliberation, the jury found Pursehouse guilty of Harwick's murder, as well as the first-degree burglary of her home. Furthermore, they upheld the special circumstance allegation of murder while lying in wait. Throughout the trial, prosecutors argued that Harwick had been caught off guard by Pursehouse, who had broken into her home, patiently waited for hours, and then carried out a vicious attack before callously tossing her off the balcony.

During his closing argument, Deputy District Attorney Victor Avila painted a chilling picture of Pursehouse's premeditation, stating that he had made the decision to end Harwick's life on Valentine's Day. Avila emphasized that Harwick had no idea of the danger waiting for her when she returned home early in the morning after a night out with friends. The prosecutor portrayed Pursehouse as a man unable to move on from their failed relationship, highlighting how Harwick had expressed her fear of him in an email to herself and in text messages to friends after unexpectedly encountering him at an event and rejecting his subsequent attempts to stay in contact.

Avila asserted that Pursehouse had broken into Harwick's home, where he lay in wait for three to four hours. When the moment presented itself, he launched a brutal attack, punching and strangling Harwick as she valiantly fought for her life. Ultimately, Pursehouse callously dropped her over the balcony, sealing her tragic fate. Avila emphasized that this was not the act of a depressed individual, but rather a man driven by anger and a sense of rejection.

Robin Bernstein-Lev, one of Pursehouse's defense attorneys, took a different approach, claiming that her client had lost control due to overwhelming emotions. She argued that Pursehouse had impulsively broken into Harwick's home in a desperate attempt to speak with her. Bernstein-Lev described him as someone in the midst of a crisis, consumed by emotions that prevented him from rationally considering the consequences of his actions. She argued that Pursehouse never intended for Harwick to die and that her death was an unintended consequence of his emotional turmoil.

The autopsy report confirmed that Harwick's cause of death was "blunt force injuries of the head and torso," with evidence of manual strangulation. When police arrived at Harwick's residence following a 911 call from her roommate, they discovered her in critical condition beneath the third-floor balcony. Despite their efforts, she was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Harwick, a published author and respected therapist who had once been briefly engaged to comedian and "The Price is Right" host Drew Carey, had previously obtained a restraining order against Pursehouse in 2012. The order had since expired, leaving her vulnerable to his violence. Harwick's tragic death sent shockwaves through the community, leaving her loved ones to endure unimaginable pain.

In the wake of Pursehouse's September conviction, Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gasc??n released a statement affirming that justice had been served. He extended his sympathies to Harwick's family and acknowledged the unspeakable suffering they had endured throughout this harrowing ordeal. Harwick's murder serves as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by victims of domestic violence and the urgent need for society to address this grave issue.

As Gareth Pursehouse begins his life sentence in prison, the memory of Amie Harwick, a talented therapist and loving individual, lives on in the hearts of those who knew and admired her. Her tragic death serves as a somber reminder of the importance of recognizing and addressing warning signs of domestic violence to prevent further loss of life.