10 years for police officer who killed lover is an insult, say women’s groups
Calls for sentence to be reviewed after judge convicts on manslaughter citing ‘loss of self-control’
WOMEN’S groups have called for a review of the sentence of a married police officer who killed his lover when she revealed his affair to his wife, as he was jailed for 10 years.
Mr Justice Jacobs told Timothy Brehmer he was being jailed on the basis that he lost his self-control as he throttled Claire Parry, fracturing her neck in three places. Sentencing the Dorset officer, the judge said Brehmer, 41, believed he had been “seriously wronged” when his lover sent a text to his wife about their affair.
Brehmer was jailed for 10-and-a-half years after being cleared of murder by a jury. He had already admitted the manslaughter of the married nurse. He will serve two thirds of his term before he can apply for parole.
“This is a case where I should sentence you on the basis you lost your selfcontrol 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,” the judge said at Salisbury Crown Court yesterday.
“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 the severe neck injuries which the pathologist described.”
The court heard that Brehmer, an officer for 17 years, applied “too much force” for 10-30 seconds during the confrontation in a pub car park.
Lucy Hadley, head of policy and campaigns at Women’s Aid, criticised the judge’s comments as “an insult” and called for the Attorney General, Suella Braverman, to review the “unjust sentence”. “Far too often we see acts of fatal violence against women excused as ‘a loss of self-control’,” Ms Hadley said. “The judge’s comments, and Brehmer’s description of this as an ‘accident’ and a ‘kerfuffle’, are an insult.”
She added: “We also have to ask whether his role as a policeman has resulted in lighter sentencing in this case – as if being an officer of the law puts a person above it. We urge the Attorney General to review this unjust sentence out of respect for Claire Parry and her family.”
Yesterday, Dorset Police issued a statement revealing it had held an “accelerated misconduct hearing” in private after Brehmer pleaded guilty to manslaughter in July. He was dismissed and placed on a list of those barred from serving as officers.
However, the hearing may have touched on how Brehmer was having an affair with the wife of a fellow Dorset police officer, Andrew Parry, as well as DC Kate Rhodes, another serving officer in the force.
A statement on the constabulary’s website said such disciplinary hearings could be held in private under exceptional circumstances.
A Dorset Police spokeswoman said they sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service and decided to hold the misconduct hearing in private “in order to avoid any prejudicial consequences” before this month’s trial.
After the sentencing, Mr Parry stated he was disappointed that the jury had failed to convict Brehmer of murder, calling him a “well practised liar”. The court heard the killer had had at least three affairs during his 14-year marriage, and would use grooming techniques to control his lovers.
‘We also have to ask whether his role as a policeman has resulted in lighter sentencing in this case’