Married PC strangled lover in car park 'by accident'

A married police officer accused of murdering his lover told a prison officer that he strangled her by accident, a court heard.

Timothy Brehmer, a constable with Dorset Police, killed nurse Claire Parry, 41, in a pub car park on 9 May.

Prison officer Scott Stentiford told Salisbury Crown Court that Mr Brehmer confided in him while on a wing for vulnerable prisoners at HMP Exeter.

Mr Brehmer, 41, of Hordle, Hampshire, admits manslaughter but denies murder.

The trial previously heard he had been in a relationship with Mrs Parry, who was herself married to another police officer, for more than 10 years.

Mrs Parry sent a text message revealing the affair to the defendant's wife minutes before she was fatally injured outside the Horns Inn in West Parley, Dorset, jurors were told.

The jury also watched police body-worn video footage which showed Mr Brehmer with blood on his body "crying hysterically".

Mrs Parry had a broken bone in her neck and died at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital the next day.

Speaking in court, Mr Stentiford said: "He told me that he had lost everything being in prison, lost his wife, his son, his house, his car, his job and someone else he loved."

Mr Stentiford said the prisoner had also recounted the events of the night he killed Mrs Parry.

"He said that she was in the car with him and she was angry, she wanted to tell his wife what was going on, she said that it needed to be said.

"He didn't think it was appropriate that she told his wife what was going on, he felt it was more appropriate coming from himself."

He said Mrs Parry tried to get out of the car and so he grabbed her pocket but "it wasn't enough".

He added: "He just said that he put his arm around the neck to try to pull her back in.

"I said I was genuinely surprised he would put his arm around her neck being a police officer because in training to be a prison officer we are trained not to ever put your arms or hands around someone's neck during a restraint."

Mr Stentiford continued: "He just said it all happened so quickly.

"He did tell me it was an accident and he didn't mean to do it and he repeated it several times... he said he loved her and didn't want to harm her."

A post-mortem examination concluded the cause of death was a brain injury caused by compression of the neck

The trial continues.