Decision delayed on appeals over sentence of killer policeman Timothy Brehmer

SENIOR judges have delayed making a decision on the 10-and a half-year sentence given to a Hordle police officer who admitted killing his lover but was cleared of her murder.

Two applications went before the Court of Appeal today (Wednesday) relating to Timothy Brehmer; his legal team argue his sentence should be cut while the Attorney General’s Office contends it is unduly lenient and should be increased.

After hearing the sides, three senior judges said they “had a lot to think about” and could not make a determination there and then. “We are going to take our time and consider our decision,” said the lead judge – Lord Burnett of Muldoon – the Lord Chief Justice for England and Wales.

Father-of-one Brehmer (41), of Woodstock Lane, is serving time in relation to the death of mother-of-two Claire Parry following an incident at the car park of the Horns Inn pub in Parley, near Christchurch, on 9th May last year.

Brehmer stood trial at Salisbury Crown Court last year having denied murder in relation to the incident and was cleared of that charge by a jury. He admitted manslaughter.

The trial heard Mrs Parry, a nurse, had been having an affair with Brehmer for 10 years but had asked they meet as she was upset having discovered his affairs with other women.

Prosecutors claimed Brehmer strangled her in a rage after she sent a text to his wife, Martha, from his phone which said “I’m cheating on you”. Brehmer denied that and said he inadvertently was “responsible” for her death while trying to get her out of his car.

Handing down sentence, trial Judge Richard Jacobs determined Brehmer “lost his self-control” during the incident, “deliberately” took Mrs Parry by the neck and applied “significant force with your forearm or the crook of your elbow” which caused the “severe neck injury”.

At the Court of Appeal the Attorney General’s Office raised the point of the public’s confidence being affected by sentencing if there was a perceived “disparity” in the offence and term given.

It was also suggested the trial judge correctly made a loss of control determination but “did not in a sense follow through on those findings” in setting the length of the jail sentence.

But acting for Brehmer, Jo Martin argued the trial judge erred in the way he interpreted the jury’s verdict and made the ‘loss of control’ determination. She also claimed the Attorney General’s case for increase was effectively trying to sentence Brehmer for murder.

In court it was suggested both sides could be seen as “having their cake and eating it” with their respective applications.