Lee Milne, 40, from Dundee, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the culpable homicide of his wife, Kimberly Milne, who took her own life in July 2023. The case is the first in Britain where a jury has convicted someone of killing an ex-partner through prolonged domestic abuse, despite not physically causing the death.
Kimberly, 28, died after jumping from a bridge over the A90 road. The court heard that on the night of her death, witnesses saw a 'distraught' Kimberly 'trapped' in Milne's arms shortly before she fell. The judge, Lady Drummond, said Milne knew she was 'in distress' and that she had 'reached a point of despair'.
Milne was also convicted of engaging in abusive conduct, including isolating Kimberly from her family, controlling her finances, and repeatedly choking her. When she tried to end the relationship, he threatened to kill himself. The couple had been living separately for weeks, and Milne was subject to bail conditions banning him from contacting her, which he breached on the night of her death.
In sentencing, Lady Drummond noted Milne's abuse was 'not only physical', involving bullying, shouting, and swearing. She said he posed a 'high risk of further offending' and imposed an additional three years on licence upon release. Kimberly's family, who described her as 'one in a million', were present in court and wept as the sentence was delivered.
Milne's defence argued that Kimberly had a history of mental health issues and previous suicide attempts, and that Milne had suffered 'emotional neglect' in childhood. However, the judge rejected these mitigations, stating that Milne had 'continued to minimise' his conduct. The case has been hailed as a significant legal milestone in Scotland, which has a separate legal system from England and Wales.
