A man whose wife jumped to her death from a bridge after he had subjected her to domestic abuse was jailed for killing her on Friday, following a landmark Scottish court case.
Kimberly Milne, 28, died in July 2023 after she fell from a bridge over a main road in Dundee and was struck by a car.
The high court in Glasgow heard how her husband, Lee Milne, 39, had waged a campaign of violent and controlling behaviour towards her in the months leading up to her death, including in the hours before she took her own life.
He was jailed for eight years after being found guilty in March of culpable homicide, the first time an offender had been held criminally responsible for the suicide of their partner in Scotland, the country’s prosecution service said.
“Lee Milne physically and psychologically abused Kimberly Bruce (Milne), and our evidence showed that this abuse was a significant contributing factor in her death,” said Laura Buchan from Scotland’s Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
“He deliberately and ruthlessly exploited Kimberly’s vulnerabilities, which makes him culpable for her decision to end her own life. ”
Closed-circuit TV footage taken on the day in Dundee showed Kimberly Milne cowering from her husband while he shouted at her, walking away as he drove at her, hiding behind a wall and trailing slowly behind him.
When they reached a flyover bridge, she climbed the barrier and jumped.
The judge, Lorna Drummond, said 18 months of prior abuse had included physical violence, including punching, choking and strangling her.
“The abuse was not only physical,” Drummond said. “You belittled her by shouting and swearing at her, calling her names; you tried to cut her off from her family, checked her phone, restricted her movements, and controlled her access to money and transport.”
Reuters
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