An Old Etonian who tried to homicide his former companion by throwing her down a disused properly at his household’s nation property has been jailed for twenty-four years.
Douglas Clifton Brown, whose ancestors embrace a number of MPs and a excessive sheriff of Norfolk, ferociously attacked Camilla Welby and tried to tug her to the properly which he had lately stuffed with water.
The 56-year-old and Ms Welby, who had separated following a 15-year relationship, had argued within the automotive after drinks at a pal’s home in August 2023, it emerged following a trial at Norwich Crown Court in January.
As an alternative of driving her dwelling, Clifton Brown headed for the historic properly at Excessive Home Property close to Congham, Norfolk. Now a marriage venue, the property has been in his household for generations.
He struck Ms Welby repeatedly within the face and threatened “I’ll put you down the properly to kill you, then kill myself” as he dragged her from the car, however she escaped after throttling him together with her scarf till he handed out.
She was later described as having been “crushed black and blue” when she arrived at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn with a damaged finger, fractured eye socket and damaged nostril, having pushed herself there in his automotive.
He beforehand admitted to inflicting grievous bodily hurt with intent and making a menace to kill and was unanimously convicted of tried homicide following a trial in January.
Jailing him for twenty-four years on Wednesday, Choose Alice Robinson mentioned his “murderous plot” had left his sufferer with severe psychological injury, leaving her frightened to open doorways and home windows and struggling to sleep.
“It was an indignant, drunken and petulant – albeit excessive – response to the perceived slight from Ms Welby earlier within the night and certain a build-up of antagonism throughout your relationship,” she mentioned.
She mentioned he inflicted such a extreme beating throughout the 35- to 40-minute automotive journey, the swelling to Ms Welby’s proper eye was “so dangerous she couldn’t open it”.
The choose famous Clifton Brown had a historical past of violence in the direction of Ms Welby, having acquired two cautions for battery in 2018, together with an incident by which he tried to strangle her and pushed her over following a hip operation.
The court docket heard Clifton Brown had instructed Ms Welby, whereas on vacation in Greece that summer time, that the connection was over, the choose mentioned.
She mentioned Ms Welby “needed an amicable separation” and mentioned Clifton Brown may keep at her dwelling for 2 months whereas he discovered a spot to remain. On the day of the incident “all the things was effective till she [Ms Welby] received within the automotive”, she added.
“You accused her of belittling you in entrance of your mates when describing her daughter’s wedding ceremony and felt she had underplayed your position,” Choose Robinson mentioned.
“Though what precipitated the argument could have been trivial, your response was not.”
At a earlier listening to, Ms Welby mentioned she suffers from post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD) and was “gaslighted” throughout their 15-year relationship.
Studying her sufferer impression assertion from behind a display screen at Norwich Crown Courtroom, she mentioned: “Seeing Mr Clifton Brown in court docket left me so terrified I ran from the court docket.
“When Mr Clifton Brown is launched I’ll all the time look over my shoulder – I’ll by no means really feel secure.”
Edward Renvoize, prosecuting, described throwing an individual down a properly as a “sadistic methodology to carry in regards to the demise of any individual”.
Mr Renvoize mentioned Clifton Brown had stuffed the properly with water from a big business water butt and there was a “historical past of violence or abuse by the defendant in the direction of Ms Welby”.
Stan Reiz KC, mitigating, mentioned the incident “was an escalation of his [Clifton Brown’s] anger”.
“It was him in a match of rage lashing out at his companion,” he mentioned.
The barrister mentioned Clifton Brown’s “despair led him to take the irrational view that he would take his personal life as properly”.
He mentioned the offence was “dedicated in a home abuse context” however the defendant “has his personal narrative of how that relationship went”.
Clifton Brown was instructed he should serve two-thirds of his 24-year jail time period in custody. He was additionally sentenced to a few years and 9 months for GBH with intent and three years for making threats to kill, to be served concurrently.
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