Domestic abuser who drove wife to kill herself jailed in landmark case
In a legal first, Lee Milne from Dundee was found guilty of culpable homicide after his partner took her own life.
A man has been jailed for eight years after being convicted of killing his wife, who jumped to her death from a road bridge following a campaign of domestic abuse.
Kimberly Milne, 28, died after being struck by vehicles when she jumped on to the A90 in Dundee on July 27, 2023.
She had been subjected to an 18-month abusive ordeal by her husband Lee Milne, 40, who was found guilty of her death at the High Court in Glasgow in March.
Jailing Milne at the same court on Friday, Lady Drummond also handed him a three-year extended sentence, meaning he will be on licence following his release.
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In a victim impact statement from her family, the court heard Ms Milne was “a much-loved daughter, sister, aunt, and they are devastated by her death”.
The judge said: “Nothing I can do or say can bring her back or ease their grief.”
The prosecution of Milne is the first of its kind in Scotland.
He was convicted of culpable homicide and engaging in a course of abusive behaviour towards his wife.
In the hours leading up to her death, Milne had acted in an aggressive and intimidating manner towards her.
This included driving erratically when she was in a car with him, shouting at her and seizing hold of her, which put her in a significant state of fear, distress and alarm.
Milne, who is from Dundee, was also found guilty of a number of domestic abuse offences committed against Ms Milne between January 2022 and July 2023.
These included physically and verbally abusing her, coercing her to move in with him and marry him, attempting to cut off her contact with friends and family, and controlling her finances.
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On one occasion in November 2022, Milne became angry when his wife asked to be taken home and struck her, causing her to fall and hit her head on a wall, knocking her unconscious.
On an occasion in May the following year, Milne seized her by the throat when she asked to be taken home, and choked her and shouted at her, causing her to run to another room and barricade herself in with a table.
After forcing himself in, he repeatedly punched and bit her, and threatened to hit her with a mirror that he then threw against a wall.
Milne’s conviction was welcomed by Nicole Ballingham, women’s service manager at Dundee Women’s Aid, a charity that supports women, children and young people experiencing domestic abuse.
However she said the group would like him to spend longer behind bars.
She was one of a number of members of Dundee Women’s Aid who attended the sentencing, along with members of Ms Milne’s family.
“I’m so happy that he’s been convicted of this crime and that he’s been held accountable,” Ms Ballingham said in an interview with the Press Association.
“We would have loved a longer sentence, of course, but happy with the outcome and justice for the family.”
In her sentencing remarks, Judge Lady Drummond told the court Milne had subjected his wife to repeated physical and emotional abuse over an 18-month period.
This included, she said, repeatedly punching and choking her, and “belittling” her by shouting and swearing at her, restricting her movements and controlling her access to money and transport.
She made the point that domestic abuse is something that usually “builds over time” from a series of different abusive acts.
“Domestic abuse is rarely about one incident,” she told the court.
“It is not only about violent acts.
“It includes more subtle, but nonetheless as harmful, exertions of power and control in a relationship.
“It builds over time. Each act — whether physical, psychological, or financial — adds to the next, increasing pressure and fear, eroding confidence and independence.
“It is the cumulative effect of the varied types of abuse that makes domestic abuse so harmful and damaging.”
Asked about the judge’s words, Ms Ballingham said: “It’s amazing to hear the recognition of the impact of domestic abuse and what it actually looks like, that coercive control, that abusive behaviour, that plays out over a long period of time and the impacts it can have.
“And to hear that being said in a court is crucial for raising awareness, understanding and making domestic abuse be taken seriously.”
Ms Ballingham also dismissed as “victim-blaming” the suggestion by Milne’s defence team that he had been trying to help his wife through a mental health crisis on the day of her death.
“My interpretation of that was that it was complete victim-blaming,” she said.
“Just my professional opinion, my personal opinion, that’s what I felt that was.
“There was no accountability taken by Mr Milne on the basis of that statement.”