Man jailed for killing abused wife who jumped from bridge
Partner Sentenced for Death of Woman After Bridge Jump
Lee Milne, 40, received an eight-year prison term for the death of his wife, Kimberly Milne, 28, who died after being hit by several vehicles on the A90 motorway in Dundee during July 2023. The prosecution marked this as a groundbreaking case in Scotland, where the husband was held accountable despite Kimberly taking her own life.
Domestic Abuse Led to Fatal Incident
The trial revealed that Kimberly endured severe mistreatment from Milne over 18 months prior to her death. Evidence included instances like Milne choking her in early 2022 and later pulling her by the hair, forcing her to the ground. He later claimed he was “not that type of guy” after apologizing for the assault.
“Lee and I were in his home and he went through my phone. He saw messages from other men before we were together. He got angry and started to shout and swear at me.”
Kimberly also shared with police that she had uncovered her husband’s alleged infidelity with other women in late 2022. This discovery reportedly triggered a violent reaction, as Milne struck her on the head, causing her to lose consciousness.
Witness Account and CCTV Evidence
During the trial, a witness described observing Kimberly and a man arguing at a Dundee retail park on the night of her death. She went shopping, only to notice them again outside a flooring store. The man was seen “trapping” the woman against the wall, with the witness noting she appeared “cowering, scared” and “seemed too frightened to act.”
CCTV footage showed Kimberly backing away from Milne as he approached, then hiding behind a wall before slowly following him. The video captured his aggressive behavior, reinforcing the claim of coercive control.
Conviction Sets Legal Precedent
Det Chf Insp Craig Kelly, who led the investigation, stated that Milne was “a violent bully” who inflicted emotional and physical harm on Kimberly. The jury was informed that Milne had already been registered as a sex offender following a 2024 conviction for sexually assaulting two boys.
COPFS legal director Laura Buchan emphasized that the case addressed a critical legal question: whether a partner could be criminally liable for a death caused by self-harm in the context of prolonged domestic abuse. The conviction marks the first such instance in Scotland, though similar cases have been addressed in England.
In 2017, Nicholas Allen was sentenced to ten years for the manslaughter of his ex-girlfriend, whose suicide was directly linked to his controlling behavior. The 2018 case of Steven Gane, who was jailed for “driving his partner to suicide,” further illustrated the legal recognition of domestic abuse as a cause of fatal outcomes.
Kimberly’s mother, Lynne Bruce, testified that Lee arrived at her home the morning after the incident. He told her that Kimberly had “pulled the steering wheel and crashed the car,” then claimed he had chased her to the bridge.
“She looked up at him, shook her head before jumping off,” Bruce recounted, highlighting the tragic sequence of events tied to Milne’s actions.