UPDATED: Hordle policeman Timothy Brehmer given 10 years' jail for killing Claire Parry
A HORDLE policeman who killed his lover but was found not guilty of her murder has been jailed for 10-and-a-half years.
Timothy Brehmer (41), of Woodcock Lane, was sent down at Salisbury Crown Court this morning (Wednesday) for his part in the death of Claire Parry (41) at the Horns Inn car park in Parley, near Christchurch, on 9th May.
The married father-of-one had denied murdering her – and was cleared of that charge by a jury following a high-profile trial. However, he admitted her manslaughter.
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”. However, Brehmer said he inadvertently was “responsible” for her death while trying to get her out of his car.
Handing down sentence, Judge Richard Jacobs determined Brehmer “lost his self-control” during the incident.
“I am sure you deliberately took Claire Parry by the neck and applying significant force with your forearm or the crook of your elbow, for a period of time while she struggled against you, therefore causing a severe neck injury the pathologist described,” the judge said.
Brehmer had applied the force for a minimum of 10 seconds and possibly up to 30, and had then lied to others at the scene about injuries he suffered – having stabbed himself – and had not told them about Ms Parry lying in the car.
That was because he must have known she was dying or already dead, the judge said.
Judge Richard Jacobs said Brehmer will serve two thirds of that sentence before he is released on licence. The 169 days Brehmer has spent on remand will be taken off the term.
The jury had been sent out to deliberate its verdict on Tuesday morning and took less than three hours to come back and acquit Brehmer.
When it came to the sentencing Judge Jacobs had to decide whether Brehmer had gone to the scene without an intention to kill or cause serious harm to Ms Parry, or experienced a “loss of self-control” in the incident – which carried a more serious sentence under manslaughter guidelines.
Based the evidence he had heard, Judge Jacobs opted for the latter, explaining he had done so because of the context of the offence and aggravating features.
The text sent to Martha had “potential catastrophic consequences” to Brehmer’s family and work life, the judge noted, before highlighting the nature of the injuries Mrs Parry suffered.
When passers-by came on the scene Brehmer, who had stabbed himself with a penknife and whose wrists were bleeding, “blamed” Mrs Parry for the wounds and asked them to call an ambulance for him, all while knowing she was dying or dead.
“You did nothing to help Claire Parry,” the judge noted. “You could not have possibly thought – as you later said in police interview – she was taking a breath, you must have known her body had gone limp.”
The fact Brehmer was trained in using self-defence techniques as part of being a police officer, had dealt with members of the public in stressful situations and knew the impacts him not immediately telling the truth or could have, were factors raised by the judge.
Brehmer did not tell the passers-by Mrs Parry was in the car and did not express “surprise” when one said she appeared to be dead. “You said during your evidence that you did not realise she was poorly; I consider you appreciated that she was much worse than that.”
He had not claimed there was a struggle in the car to the passers-by – that story came later the following morning and in police interview, the judge added.
There were two main aggravating features: the “significant mental and physical suffering” caused to Mrs Parry just before her death and Brehmer’s actions after the event, he concluded.
Summing up, the judge added: “There is no question you are a dangerous offender.”
Noting Brehmer had been of good character, his good policing record and him having no previous convictions, the judge said he had shown remorse for his actions.