Man jailed after partner suffocates during bondage sex

A man has been jailed after his bound and gagged partner suffocated when he fell asleep during sex.

Warren Coulton, 52, covered 38-year-old Claire Wright's naked body with a duvet and drove off, Mold Crown Court heard.

They had been having consensual sex involving bondage at a holiday lodge in Flintshire in July 2018.

Coulton, of Buck Lane, in Baildon, Bradford, was jailed for six years after he was found guilty of manslaughter through gross negligence.

Coulton had been under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he fell asleep at Herons Lake Retreat, leaving Ms Wright to suffocate on a sock, the court heard on Wednesday.

A member of staff discovered Ms Wright's body, the court was told.

Prosecuting QC Caroline Rees said he owed Ms Wright, also from Bradford, a duty of care, and had "exposed her to an obvious and serious risk of death and asphyxiation".

The couple had been in a relationship for five-and-a-half years and Ms Wright, a mother, had worked for Coulton at his cafe, the jury heard.

The defendant claimed they had had sex three times that evening and his last memory was of Ms Wright on top of him.

He denied he taped a pink sock in her mouth and maintained her hands were tied loosely behind her back.

Defending Coulton, Adam Kane QC said his client thought she would be able to spit out the sock and claimed it was a "tragic accident" however the jury took just two hours to return a guilty verdict.

Ms Wright's 15-year-old daughter told the court: "My childhood has been ruined forever".

Coulton had a previous conviction as a youth for causing death by reckless driving, the jury heard.

The judge, Mr Justice Picken, said Ms Wright was "vivacious and much-loved" and her family had spoken about her in "heart-breaking" terms.

Mr Picken said Coulton, who had a window and office cleaning business, knew drinking too much would cause him to fall asleep but chose to ignore warnings from "the previous incident".