Scottish man jailed for killing his abused wife who jumped to her death

Kimberly ‌Milne, 28, died in July 2023 after she fell from a bridge over a main road in Dundee and was struck by a car.

The High Court in Glasgow ​heard how her husband Lee Milne, 39, had waged a ​campaign of violent and controlling behaviour towards her in the months ⁠leading up to her death, including in the hours before she ​took her own life.

He was jailed for eight years after being found guilty ​in March of culpable homicide, the first time an offender had been held criminally responsible for the suicide of their partner in Scotland, the country's prosecution service said.

"Lee ​Milne physically and psychologically abused Kimberly Bruce (Milne) and our evidence showed that ​this abuse was a significant contributing factor in her death," said Laura Buchan from ‌Scotland's ⁠Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

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

Closed-circuit TV footage taken on the day in Dundee showed Kimberly Milne cowering from her husband while ​he shouted at ​her, walking away ⁠as he drove at her, hiding behind a wall and trailing slowly behind him.

When they reached a flyover bridge, ​she climbed the barrier and jumped.

The judge, Lorna Drummond, ​said 18 ⁠months of prior abuse had included physical violence, including punching, choking and strangling her.

"The abuse was not only physical," Drummond said. "You belittled her by shouting ⁠and ​swearing at her, calling her names, you tried ​to cut her off from her family, checked her phone, restricted her movements, and controlled ​her access to money and transport."