Why Scotland's first culpable homicide conviction of domestic abuser whose wife killed herself is so important
In years gone by, Lee Milne would have walked free despite having clearly driven his wife Kimberley to suicide
Scotland’s first-ever conviction for culpable homicide of a domestic abuser whose wife killed herself is a hugely important, landmark moment. Kimberley Milne, 28, died after jumping from a bridge onto the A90 in Dundee.
In an appalling 18-month campaign of abuse, her husband, Lee Milne, 40, forced her to move in with him and marry him, sought to prevent her from speaking to family and friends, controlled her finances, and physically attacked her on multiple occasions, punching, biting and throttling her. Shortly before her death, he acted in an aggressive and intimidating manner.
In years gone by, he would have walked free despite having clearly driven this young woman to suicide. His eight-year prison sentence is more than deserved. Commenting on the sentence, Nicole Ballingham, of Dundee Women’s Aid, said she wished it had been longer.
This case is a reminder to foolish politicians who claim prisons should be abolished why they are very much needed, a warning to domestic abusers that the authorities will act, and a reason why tackling domestic abuse before it proves fatal, in one way or another, is imperative.