Man behind viral #TheDress photo jailed for attacking wife

The man behind a social media post featuring a dress that famously "broke the internet" has been jailed for four-and-a-half years for attacking his wife

Keir Johnston, 39, pinned his partner Grace to the ground and choked her during a row at their home on the island of Colonsay in Argyll and Bute in March 2022, the High Court in Glasgow was told.

The couple hit the headlines in 2015 when a picture of a dress worn by Mrs Johnston's mother at their wedding ignited an online debate over its colour.

Some people said the dress was black and blue while others argued it was white and gold.

The court heard the couple had a "volatile" relationship and Johnston became enraged with his wife at their home during an argument.

He then tackled her to the ground and throttled her using both hands.

Johnston was said to have maintained pressure on her neck until a witness rushed at him and broke up the struggle.

He threatend to "finish her off", struggled with his wife again, brandished a knife, uttered a further threat that "somebody was going to die" and then attempted to self-harm, the court heard.

He pleaded guilty at the same court last month to assaulting his wife to her injury and endangering her life.

The couple received global media attention nine years ago when the picture of his mother-in-law's dress sparked an internet debate over its colour.

They went on to appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show in the USA, where they were handed $10,000 and a luxury trip to Grenada.

Defence lawyer Marco Guarino asked judge Lady Drummond to consider imposing a non-custodial sentence, telling the court Johnston had voluntarily sought help for his behavioural issues.

But Lady Drummond said she had concluded only a custodial sentence was appropriate.

Speaking of Mrs Johnston's ordeal, the judge said: "She feared for her life. The strangling lasted 20 seconds."

The judge said Mrs Johnston's memory of the ordeal would affect her "forever" and that she was unable to understand her husband's lack of remorse.

As well as a jail sentence of 54 months, reduced from 60 months due to his early guilty plea, Johnston was banned from contacting or approaching his wife for 10 years.

Following the hearing, Police Scotland Ch Insp Simon Shanks said: "Johnston is a violent individual who is now being held accountable for his despicable behaviour towards his victim.

"The experience will undoubtedly have left a lasting impact, however I hope that today's outcome provides her with some degree of closure and helps them to move on with her life."