Teenager Survives 40ft Plunge After Being Pushed from Solihull Tower Block Window
In a horrifying incident that has shocked the local community, an 18-year-old girl survived a 40ft fall from a tower block in Solihull after being pushed out of a window by her boyfriend. The terrifying event, captured on CCTV, occurred at Merton House in Chelmsley Wood on November 12, 2022, at approximately 11.22pm.
Boyfriend Convicted of Grievous Bodily Harm Following Violent Attack
Jordan Herring, a 22-year-old from Solihull, was found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm upon his teenage girlfriend. However, the jury cleared him of the more serious charges of GBH with intent and attempted murder. The court heard how Herring held the victim near the window and threatened, "I will throw you out, I will kill you" before forcing her from the fourth-floor flat.
The prosecution, led by Jamie Scott, detailed that the distance from the fourth floor to the ground measured 11.4 metres, equivalent to just over 37 feet. Herring cynically lied to authorities, claiming the teenager had climbed out and dropped herself following an argument about infidelity. This was his second trial after an initial jury failed to reach a majority verdict on the main offences.
Victim Suffered Critical Injuries But Miraculously Survived the Fall
The young woman sustained life-threatening injuries from the fall, including:
- A collapsed lung
- A ruptured spleen
- A cut to her liver
- Multiple broken bones
Miraculously, she avoided serious head trauma and was discharged from hospital after one week of treatment. The victim, whose identity has been protected, consented to the release of the CCTV footage by West Midlands Police to highlight the severity of the attack.
Coercive Behaviour and Delayed Emergency Response
Prior to the fall, Herring had subjected the teenager to coercive and controlling behaviour, which included:
- Assaulting her on multiple occasions
- Locking her in a bedroom
- Rifling through her personal phone
On the night of the incident, the victim arrived at Merton House already "battered and bruised" with two black eyes and marks on her neck. Herring made her wear two hoodies to conceal her appearance, having taken her to his mother's flat to evade her concerned family.
After the fall, CCTV footage showed Herring "strolling" down the stairs, followed by his mother Kerrie-Anne Grogan. He picked up the injured teenager, wrapped her in a blanket, and took her back upstairs. Emergency services were not called for over an hour, despite the critical nature of her injuries.
Mother's Conflicting Testimony and Legal Proceedings
Ms Grogan initially told the 999 call handler that Herring had prevented her from seeking help sooner and claimed he possessed a knife, expressing fears he might kill the teenager. However, she later retracted these allegations in court, citing her own mental health issues and intoxication at the time.
A biomechanics expert was instructed by the prosecution to examine how the teenager landed and assess the plausibility of Herring's account. The jury ultimately convicted Herring on the basis that he pushed or threw her from the window but did not intend to cause really serious harm. He remains remanded in custody awaiting sentencing later this year.
