Police officer accidentally strangles lover

[james.miller]

PC Timothy Brehmer: A full timeline of events | Bournemouth Echo

KILLER police officer Timothy Brehmer was found not guilty by a jury of eleven after a two-week murder trial at Salisbury Crown Court.

Brehmer, 41, of Hordle, New Forest, admitted manslaughter after causing the death of Claire Parry, whom he had been having an extramarital affair with for eleven years.

Mrs Parry, 41, a nurse from Bournemouth, died of a brain injury due to compression to the neck at the Horns Inn pub car park in West Parley on May 9. Brehmer said this happened after a “kerfuffle” trying to get the nurse out his car.

But what happened in the lead up to Mrs Parry’s death?

Brehmer met Mrs Parry in 2005 while on a job with the police force. He told the court their relationship between 2006 and 2011 was “sexually flirtatious” and “infrequent”.

The relationship then developed to an “on and off” affair. Brehmer said they wouldn’t talk when big events occurred in their respective lives but would pick up contact in the down time.

Father-of-one Brehmer and mother-of-two Mrs Parry shared a relationship for 11 years, the court heard, which they “compartmentalised” from their marriages. The affair, in Brehmer’s words, went “bonkers”, when Mrs Parry’s marriage started to break down as a result.

After growing suspicious of the affair, and speaking to Brehmer, Andrew Parry attended marriage counselling with Mrs Parry. Mr Parry had decided he was going to leave his wife in March this year and they were only living together due to the coronavirus lockdown, the court heard.

On May 6, three days before Mrs Parry’s death, Brehmer, while at work at NPAS at Bournemouth Aiport, visited Mrs Parry at her home and had sex.

Brehmer described everything as being “normal”, however that evening Mrs Parry engaged in a conversation on Facebook with Kate Rhodes, a former partner of Brehmer’s.

This conversation “opened Mrs Parry’s eyes” and she then began “relentlessly” messaging Brehmer accusing him of cheating on her and threatening to tell his wife Martha about the affair.

On May 8, Brehmer worked a night shift and on his way home the next morning spoke to Mrs Parry. He then gave Mrs Parry access to his social media sites and she became “vindictive”, laughing at his “perfect life”.

She asked him to meet at the Horns Inn pub at 3pm. Brehmer said he had formed the decision to kill himself after seeing “no way out”, he went to Screwfix in Lymington to pick up rope to kill himself but failed due to click and collect, he then went to see Mrs Parry to see why she wanted to meet.

At 2.41pm on May 9, Brehmer arrived at the Horns Inn, Mrs Parry arrived a few minutes later.

At 3.02pm, a text was sent to Mrs Parry on Brehmer’s phone reading “I’m cheating on you”. The text was sent by Mrs Parry.

Brehmer then stabbed himself in the arm “to show how desperate he was” and factory reset his phone “so nobody could find him” after he killed himself.

He claimed he asked Mrs Parry to get out the car and when she refused he walked around the front of the car to the passenger door and tried pulling her out.

After failing, he “bundled in” to push her out. He said he had his arm around the top of her chest and it “must have slipped up in the melee” which resulted in Mrs Parry dying of a brain injury due to compression to the neck.

Brehmer is then seen at around 3.20pm walking to the entrance of the pub and sitting on the ground.

Mrs Parry was left “half in, half out” the car unconscious, she died in hospital the next day.

What. The. ****.

Lunatic.

 

[R.P.L]

Sounds like an excuse of a quality that will be familiar to parents and teachers of naughty children. Hey ho. Not saying that she deserves to be dead, but anyone thinking that extramarital affairs are likely to result in a happy ending (not like that ) is clearly not thinking things through properly.

 

[Rofflay]

Not even 11yrs for murder! Disgusting really i know a few police officers and if people think they are upstanding folk who are all given mental checkups and the best of us think again.

Sad day, I hope the family appeal it should have been 25 without parole.

 

[Angilion]

Angilion. I'm telling you the exact context to read it in. stop being obtuse and accept it. I didn't say motive = intent, I said he had a motive so...(this is the bit you work out for yourself). Stop strawmanning me just because you can imply an context from my post when I have TOLD you exactly how to read it.

Yeah, OK. You accidentally posted a completely irrelevant comment about something completely different as a reply when you meant to post it by itself and now you can't admit that for some reason and have to pretend that context doesn't matter at all. Totally believeable. I'm throughly convinced.

 

[Django x2]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-54693540

So the officer has been cleared of murder, yet he accidentally strangled her during an argument. He's admitted applying pressure to her neck but didn't realise she was poorly when he left her in the car.

I only know what's in the article but it stinks to me.

Why? He didn't premeditate her murder, it happened during a heated argument, that's manslaughter.

 

[Angilion]

The standard of proof is beyond reasonable doubt. Just by reading the case you can guess that it was beyond reasonable doubt that he squeezed the life out of her after she's texted his wife about their affair. [..]

1) Is it really a good idea to have cases settled by people reading whatever coverage they see on a screen or in a paper and then guessing what happened?
2) Nobody is disputing that he killed her, so the question of whether that is beyond reasonable doubt is irrelevant.

 

[james.miller]

Yeah, OK. You accidentally posted a completely irrelevant comment about something completely different as a reply when you meant to post it by itself and now you can't admit that for some reason and have to pretend that context doesn't matter at all. Totally believeable. I'm throughly convinced.

Oh, you again. Look, if you can't do me the courtesy of allowing me to clarify what apparently was an ambiguous post (it wasn't, but whatever) like an adult should, then I'm sorry but I couldn't give a toss what you think. Your opinion is clearly unimportant.

 

[bainbridge]

I'm not a law expert but if the only kind of killing which can be defined as murder has to be.proven as premeditated then something is wrong with the law of the land. I reckon he murdered her. The web of deceit began unravelling, he strangled her and left her to die.

 

[Rofflay]

I'm not a law expert but if the only kind of killing which can be defined as murder has to be.proven as premeditated then something is wrong with the law of the land. I reckon he murdered her. The web of deceit began unravelling, he strangled her and left her to die.

The expert said the force applied was 30seconds or more no? And he left after it and did not realize she was poorly? Yea she would have been out cold the guy killed her and ran and something stinks about the whole case.

But hey, Who better to get around the law than someone schooled in it right?

 

[Kenai]

The only thing I think you can take issue with is whether the sentencing guidelines for voluntary manslaughter are sufficient. The actual difference in definition between murder and manslaughter isn't massive, it's the fact that manslaughter sentences are often shorter than would appear reasonable in many cases.

We could use a more US style system and call something like this second degree murder but all that would really change is the name of the crime to something more emotive, the sentencing would be similar to what it is now (though I think even in the US this would have been manslaughter in this specific circumstance)

 

[Surveyor]

Not even 11yrs for murder! Disgusting really i know a few police officers and if people think they are upstanding folk who are all given mental checkups and the best of us think again.

Sad day, I hope the family appeal it should have been 25 without parole.

The expert said the force applied was 30seconds or more no? And he left after it and did not realize she was poorly? Yea she would have been out cold the guy killed her and ran and something stinks about the whole case.

But hey, Who better to get around the law than someone schooled in it right?

He was found not guilty of murder by the jury who heard the evidence.

The family have no right to appeal the sentence.

 

[Rofflay]

He was found not guilty of murder by the jury who heard the evidence.

The family have no right to appeal the sentence.

Can hardly say i am shocked, That is why murder rape and knife crime happens. Weakness on the part of the system. Had the manslaughter charge of been 25yrs i bet you she would be alive. Murder and rape where jt results in pregnancy again life no parole.

Knife crime or carry? First strike for a carry 1yr second 25yr and first knife crime again 25yrs. Were encouraging crime.

 

[Kenai]

The concept of whether harsher sentencing actually works as a deterrent for different types of crime is hardly cut and dry, that debate has been rumbling on for years.

You also have to factor in risk of capture. Who gives a toss what the sentence is if you don't get caught and prosecuted? When you lose the plot and strangle your lover to the point they die from it the next day, I'm not sure the immediate thoughts to go through your head during the moment are how likely you are to get caught and how long you might get put away for.

 

[Hotwired]

Can hardly say i am shocked, That is why murder rape and knife crime happens. Weakness on the part of the system. Had the manslaughter charge of been 25yrs i bet you she would be alive. Murder and rape where jt results in pregnancy again life no parole.

Knife crime or carry? First strike for a carry 1yr second 25yr and first knife crime again 25yrs. Were encouraging crime.

I'll bet against that.

You reckon the punishment would have stopped the fatal damage.

It's a wonder we ever got rid of the death penalty if a severe enough punishment can prevent even murder.

 

[Rofflay]

I'll bet against that.

You reckon the punishment would have stopped the fatal damage.

It's a wonder we ever got rid of the death penalty if a severe enough punishment can prevent even murder.

Well imagine if you hated someone and they raped your family member and you could kill them. Lets say you get 35yrs or the electric chair. Would you do it if you were 100% going to get the chair?

 

[Kenai]

Well imagine if you hated someone and they raped your family member and you could kill them. Lets say you get 35yrs or the electric chair. Would you do it if you were 100% going to get the chair?

Wouldn't make a blind bit of difference in a circumstance that extreme. If I've gone as far as deciding to kill someone, the consequences of getting caught aren't top concern. This is most typically exemplified by the US where states with the death penalty on average have higher homicide rates.

There's a strong argument it works for less emotive crime though such as burglary, where the decision to engage in the crime to start with is rooted much more deeply in a risk vs reward decision.

 

[Hotwired]

Well imagine if you hated someone and they raped your family member and you could kill them. Lets say you get 35yrs or the electric chair. Would you do it if you were 100% going to get the chair?

I wouldn't be thinking about the punishment if I was upset enough.

Why would you be thinking about the punishment, that's not how priorities work.

I'd make an effort after the fact to not get caught but first things first.

 

[NVP]

PC Timothy Brehmer: A full timeline of events | Bournemouth Echo



What. The. ****.

Lunatic.

It beggars belief.

Their affair turns sour after she suspects he cheated (lol)

She's cussing him out a few days later.

They agree to meet.

He... goes to buy rope!? before realising that was stupid.

She text his wife telling her he was cheating.

He is somehow is stabbed in the arm.

He "accidentally" holds his arm against her throat to cause a brain injury from compression of the neck.

She died.



....manslaughter


Even the judge at sentencing states:

Mr Justice Jacobs told Brehmer he was sentencing him "on the basis you lost your self-control following the sending of the text message to your wife where the affair was revealed, rather than on the basis that you had no intention to kill or cause really serious harm".

"I am sure that you did deliberately take Claire Parry by the neck applying significant force with your forearm or the crook of your elbow for a period of time while she struggled against you, thereby causing...severe neck injuries," the judge added.

"The evidence from the pathologist was that those injuries which she described as 'severe' on a scale of mild, moderate or severe resulted from the application of significant force to the neck for a period of a minimum 10 to 30 seconds and possibly longer.

"She said it was difficult to envisage a situation where a struggle in the car imparted the necessary degree of force or could explain the extent and severity of the neck injuries."

I mean... what!?

I need the number of that lawyer.

 

[potatolord]

Wouldn't make a blind bit of difference in a circumstance that extreme. If I've gone as far as deciding to kill someone, the consequences of getting caught aren't top concern. This is most typically exemplified by the US where states with the death penalty on average have higher homicide rates.

There's a strong argument it works for less emotive crime though such as burglary, where the decision to engage in the crime to start with is rooted much more deeply in a risk vs reward decision.

To be fair, if you were in a fit of rage over something, as I'm assuming was the case there, you're probably not thinking clearly about sentencing possibilities. Resetting his phone (as mentioned in the article) looks bad to me, though.

Just a tragic loss of life. My thoughts go out to the poor woman's children and husband.

Ten years is going to be very hard time for a former cop. I'm not sure a longer sentence would achieve much.

 

[Rofflay]

It beggars belief.

Their affair turns sour after she suspects he cheated (lol)

She's cussing him out a few days later.

They agree to meet.

He... goes to buy rope!? before realising that was stupid.

She text his wife telling her he was cheating.

He is somehow is stabbed in the arm.

He "accidentally" holds his arm against her throat to cause a brain injury from compression of the neck.

She died.



....manslaughter


Even the judge at sentencing states:



I mean... what!?

I need the number of that lawyer.

For once i agree, Cops know how to get out of thier own system everything he did shod of been aggravating factors each one adding jail time. Why reset your phone? Why do the other things? The UK justice system does not serve justice someone lost thier wife and mother and the guy does ten years? Ten years will fly is this ten no parole or...

Five years, Five year on license on good behaviour?