Scotland domestic abuse case: Husband jailed after wife jumps to death from bridge in bid to escape him

A Scottish man has been jailed for eight years for his wife's death after she jumped from a bridge in Dundee to escape him. This is Scotland's first case where a domestic abuser is held criminally responsible for a victim's death, even though she took her own life.Lee Milne, 40, was convicted of culpable homicide following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow. His wife, Kimberly Milne, 28, died in July 2023 after falling from a bridge over the A90 and being struck by multiple vehicles. Police said she was "clearly terrified" of her husband and that her death was the result of her trying to escape him.According to prosecutors, the abuse began early in the relationship and continued until the day Kimberly died.

Over 18 months, Milne choked her, grabbed her by the hair, struck her, and subjected her to repeated verbal abuse.In one incident in late 2022, he hit her on the head with enough force that she lost consciousness.On the night of her death, a witness saw the couple arguing near a retail park in Dundee. The witness described seeing Milne trap Kimberly against a wall while she cowered, too frightened to respond. CCTV footage shown during the trial captured her hiding behind a wall, walking slowly behind him and flinching as he drove towards her.

Judge Lady Drummond told Milne that following his actions, Kimberly had reached a point of despair that led her to climb over a bridge barrier and fall to her death. She noted that Kimberly's family had described her as a "one-in-a-million" daughter, sister and aunt.Laura Buchan, legal director at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said the prosecution had tackled a complex legal question: whether a partner could be held criminally responsible for a victim's death after sustained domestic abuse. She said Milne had deliberately exploited Kimberly's vulnerabilities, making him culpable for her death.Milne will be supervised in the community for three years after release. He had separately been placed on the sex offenders' register after being convicted of sexually assaulting two young boys in 2024.Similar cases in England include that of Nicholas Allen, jailed for 10 years in 2017 for the manslaughter of his former girlfriend, whose suicide was ruled a direct result of his controlling behaviour.