Domestic abuser drove at wife at speed on day she took her own life, CCTV shows

CCTV footage showed abusive husband Lee Milne driving at his wife in a car park on the day she died.

Milne has been jailed for eight years after being convicted of killing his wife Kimberly, who jumped from a road bridge in July 2023 following a campaign of domestic abuse by him.

A judge said she “reached a point of despair” and chose to end her life as a result of Milne’s long-running abuse.

It is the first time in Scotland an offender has been held criminally responsible for the suicide of their partner.

The Crown Office has now published some of the evidence which helped convict Milne.

It shows that in a text message to her sister in March 2023, Ms Milne had discussed leaving her husband.

She had said: “How can I leave him if he’s saying he’s gonna do himself in without me.”

Her sister replied: “I would just leave him he doesn’t care if that’s what he’s doing to be honest Kim.”

The Crown Office also released CCTV footage from July 27, 2023 – the day Ms Milne died.

The video clips show Milne’s aggressive and erratic behaviour around her.

One shows his car being driven at speed in a car park on Old Glamis Road, Dundee, at 9.15pm.

The grey hatchback skids around as it turns sharply, before Ms Milne is seen exiting from the passenger side.

The car is then driven at her as she walks away, before turning again to come to a halt in front of her.

Other CCTV clips show Milne and his victim in a supermarket on Kingsway, Dundee, around 45 minutes later the same evening.

He can be seen gesturing towards her as she walks behind him.

Prosecutors say she tried to hide from him behind a wall after he shouted at her.

Laura Buchan, legal director at the Crown Office, said: “This prosecution sought to answer a complex question – can a partner be held criminally responsible for the death of a victim who has taken their own life following a course of domestic abuse?

“Lee Milne physically and psychologically abused Kimberly Bruce (Milne) and our evidence showed that this abuse was a significant contributing factor in her death.

“He deliberately and ruthlessly exploited Kimberly’s vulnerabilities, which makes him culpable for her decision to end her own life.

“His coercive and controlling behaviour escalated throughout the relationship. On the night that Kimberly died, his abuse was carried out in full public view.

“Our prosecution demonstrated how women can become trapped in relationships in webs created by an abuser.

“Today we are thinking of the family and friends of Kimberly, who have suffered such a terrible loss and unimaginable trauma.”