Mum-of-two died during sex game at luxury Welsh holiday lodge
AWOMAN died in a drink and drug-fuelled bondage game during a luxury Welsh holiday resort.
Partner Warren Martin Coulton, 52, fled the scene when he woke and found mum-of-two Claire Wright dead after he tied her up and fell asleep.
A trial, which concluded yesterday with him being convicted of manslaughter, heard he had put a sock in her mouth and may have taped it up.
The 38-year-old’s body was discovered by staff at the Herons Lake Retreat near Caerwys in Flintshire on July 16, 2018, NorthWalesLive reported. She died from asphyxia.
During a seven-day trial at Mold Crown Court, prosecutors argued that Coulton, an operations manager at a window and office cleaning business, committed a breach of his duty of care towards his partner of five years which was so “exceptionally bad” that it deserved a “criminal sanction”.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees QC said the couple brought what Coulton called “toys” – including ties, red tape, white tape, and gloves – along to the resort for bondage sessions.
She said Coulton, who was 12 years older, was the “dominant” partner.
Yesterday a jury of seven men and five women took less than two hours to find Coulton guilty of the manslaughter by gross negligence of his partner.
Relatives in the first-floor public gallery gave fist pumps of satisfaction when the jury foreman delivered the decision.
Adam Kane QC, mitigating, that the partners were engaged in a consensual activity when the offence occurred. He added: “There’s no doubt these tragic circumstances were not desired and the outcome not sought by this defendant.”
The judge, Mr Justice Simon Picken, sentenced Coulton, of Buck Lane, Baildon, near Bradford, to six years in jail.
Sentencing Coulton, the judge noted that while there was a sock inside the victim’s mouth during the fatal incident there was doubt over whether her mouth had been taped up.
“Either way, you were negligent and grossly so,” he added. “It was your choice to drink to excess and take drugs. You did not have to do these things [but they have had] disastrous consequences.”
The judge also said Coulton was aware there was a risk of him falling asleep after drinking while the victim was tied up but he took that risk anyway.