Anger as businessman who killed girlfriend to be released
A MILLIONAIRE businessman who killed his Worcestershire girlfriend is to be released from prison after serving less than two years, it has emerged.
John Broadhurst was jailed for three years and eight months for the death of Natalie Connolly in December 2018.
But now it has been revealed he is to be freed in the next couple of weeks.
A campaign launched after mother-of-one Natalie’s death led to a change in the law whereby a defendant cannot use the so-called “rough sex defence” in court.
Broadhurst, 41, had claimed 26-year-old Natalie, from Wolverley, had consented to the injuries which ultimately led to her death.
Natalie, who had a 10-year-old daughter, was left to die in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs in Broadhurst’s home in Kenrose Mill, Kinver, in 2016. She had been subjected to violent abuse during sex and was found to have more than 40 injuries. Broadhurst had stood trial at Birmingham Crown Court accused of murder. But part way through the trial pleaded guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence.
He was cleared of murder on the directions of the judge and convicted of the manslaughter charge and jailed for 44 months. His sentence was blasted as “unduly lenient” by Natalie’s family, MPs from all parties and women’s rights campaigners.
Leading the campaign was Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier, who has now revealed Broadhurst is to be released within weeks. He said he would be seeking more information about the terms of the release.
He said: “There is no justice in this. There never has been for Natalie. She was deprived of her life and of her reputation by this man and he got 18 months for it.
“Natalie Connolly was not someone who was into rough sex. This was Broadhurst using it. She was a just a fairly normal, fun-loving mother who, like most people, wanted a nice, happy relationship with someone she loved.”
Mr Garnier was part of the crossparty campaign to stop killers and violent attackers using the ‘rough sex’ defence. The change in the law came into effect earlier this month as a result of the campaign.
He believes mistakes were made in the trial in December 2018, including the prosecution’s decision to drop the murder charge which could have seen Broadhurst serve a longer sentence, of between 15 to 20 years.