‘Ruthlessly’ abusive man jailed after wife died jumping from Scotland bridge

Kimberley Milne jumped to her death in Scotland in July 2023, but prosecutors in a landmark case said on Friday that she was driven to do it by her husband’s physical abuse.

Lee Milne, 40, was sentenced to eight years in prison following his conviction in Glasgow’s High Court for culpable homicide and engaging in abusive behaviour. It was the first case in which Scottish prosecutors asked jurors to find an abusive spouse responsible for the death of a victim who takes their own life.

“Lee Milne physically and psychologically abused Kimberly,” prosecutor Laura Buchan said. “He deliberately and ruthlessly exploited Kimberly’s vulnerabilities, which makes him culpable for her decision to end her own life.”

Prosecutors presented evidence of the physical and emotional abuse and control that Lee Milne exerted during their 18-month married life leading up to the death on July 27, 2023, in Dundee, Scotland.

Milne had grabbed his wife by the neck, choked her, dragged her around, restrained her, punched her and knocked her unconscious. He belittled her and tried to distance her from family. He limited her access to money and transport and locked her in their flat without food.

“Domestic abuse is rarely about one incident,” Judge Lorna Drummond said. “It’s not only about violent acts, it includes more subtle, but nonetheless as harmful, exertions of power and control in a relationship. And it builds over time, each act, whether physical, psychological or financial, adds to the next. Increasing pressure and fear, eroding confidence and independence.”

The family said in a statement read in court that they were devastated by the death of the “much-loved” daughter, sister and aunt.