The ex-boyfriend of a renowned marriage and sex therapist was convicted on Thursday of first-degree murder. He was found guilty of throwing the woman from the third-floor balcony of her Hollywood Hills home. The downtown Los Angeles jury deliberated for about two days before reaching a verdict. Gareth Pursehouse, 45, of Playa del Rey, was convicted of killing 38-year-old Amie Harwick on Feb. 15, 2020.
In addition to the murder charge, the jury also found Pursehouse guilty of first-degree burglary and a special circumstance allegation of murder while lying in wait. He now faces life in prison without parole, and his sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 6.
During the closing arguments, prosecutors claimed that Harwick was taken by surprise when Pursehouse broke into her home and attacked her before throwing her off the balcony. The defense argued that she may have fallen accidentally after a confrontation with someone else. However, the prosecution maintained that Pursehouse had planned to end Harwick’s life, fueled by anger and rejection.
Pursehouse had a history with Harwick, dating for around 18 months years ago. Harwick obtained a restraining order against him in 2012.
The defense attorney suggested that Pursehouse lost control due to overwhelming emotions, leading him to break into Harwick’s home in a desperate attempt to talk to her. Pursehouse’s lawyer claimed that he was suffering from a severe emotional upheaval after randomly seeing Harwick at an event a month earlier.
The attorney argued that Pursehouse’s emotional state prevented him from forming the intent required for first-degree murder. The defense highlighted that Harwick may have willingly climbed over the balcony in an attempt to escape, as evidenced by an earlier photo of her posing on the balcony.
The prosecution countered, asserting that Harwick feared Pursehouse and that he became angry when she shut him out. They maintained that Pursehouse intended to punish her by taking her life. The autopsy confirmed that Harwick died from head and torso injuries caused by blunt force, along with evidence of manual strangulation.
Following Harwick’s death, Pursehouse was initially arrested but released on bail. However, he was re-arrested four days later on a no-bail warrant and has remained in custody since then.
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