Trial date for police officer accused of murder

A TRIAL date has been set for a married police officer accused of killing his long-term lover.

Tim Brehmer, 41, is accused of murdering Claire Parry, 41, who died in hospital on May 10.

A short hearing was held over Skype by Winchester Crown Court yesterday in the absence of the defendant. Judge Jane Miller QC said that Exeter prison had been unable to produce Brehmer, from Hordle, Hampshire, for a videolink to the hearing.

She set a plea and trial preparation hearing for July 8, with an estimated two-week trial to start on October 5. Brehmer’s counsel, Jane Rowley, did not apply for bail for the defendant.

Dorset Police were called to the car park of the Horns Inn in Christchurch Road, West Parley, on Saturday afternoon after the ambulance service reported that two people needed medical assistance.

Mrs Parry, from Bournemouth, was taken to Royal Bournemouth Hospital for treatment but died the following day.

A post-mortem examination concluded the cause of death was a brain injury caused by compression of the neck.

Brehmer was arrested at the scene of the incident and taken to Poole Hospital for treatment to a self-inflicted knife injury to his arm, which required surgery, before he was discharged into custody.

Dorset Police said the defendant, who served with the force but was on secondment to the National Police Air Service, was not on duty at the time of the incident but due to his occupation and the seriousness of the charge, a referral had been made to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.