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Woman was being strangled by husband on five-star Thai holiday | News UK
A businessman who admitted strangling his wife on a luxury five-star family holiday in Thailand has avoided being jailed.
David Turner, 61, admitted assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, while they were at the Le Meridien Khao Lak Resort and Spa on July 4, 2024.
The drunken ex-businessman viciously attacked his wife and repeatedly strangled, kicked and punched her while he was ‘frothing at the mouth, shouting and screaming’.
The terrified woman thought that ‘this was it’ and that she was going to die during the violent and prolonged beating.
She eventually blacked out because of the ferocity of the unprovoked attack but he later brandished a knife and threw it at her, Hull Crown Court heard.
Stephen Welch, prosecuting, said that Turner and his wife were on holiday in Thailand at the time and an adult son and Turner’s father were with them. Turner had been drinking cocktails but he then went missing. He was later discovered in a bathroom being violently ill because of how much he had drunk.
Turner’s wife tried to look after him, along with their son, who was ‘equally poorly’, but Turner accused her of having gone missing earlier, even though she was nearby all the time. He smashed her into wardrobe drawers and started strangling her.
She thought that ‘this was it’ she described Turner as ‘frothing at the mouth, shouting and screaming’. He got up and repeatedly kicked her in the body and on her legs.
He started strangling her again before getting hold of her head and hitting it on the toilet floor. ‘He strangled her again before punching her repeatedly in the head until she blacked out,’ said Mr Welch.
‘She thought that she was going to die. Then he approached her with a knife. She screamed at him: ‘Stop it. What are you doing?’ He threw the knife at her before accusing her incorrectly of having been gone two hours.
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‘Their son came out of the bathroom and the defendant threatened to kill her in the presence of her son. She wanted to call the police but she didn’t have the local number.’
Turner called her an abusive name. ‘The next morning, she and her son retrieved their passports from the defendant and they left,’ said Mr Welch. She suffered extensive bruises to her head, face, body and limbs.
Turner, formerly from the Hull and Beverley areas, was arrested when he returned from Thailand. During police interview, he made no comment to questions. He had no previous convictions.
The woman later said: ‘The past year has been a living nightmare.’ It had affected everything, including her personal wellbeing, mental health, work, family and friends.
‘Since the incident happened, I have noticed an immense effect,’ she said. ‘I became a recluse. I felt I could not even leave the house. I was terrified of seeing Dave.
‘It was only when I was granted a non-molestation order that I felt I could go out. My brother had to change the locks of the house because Dave had a key. I was scared he was in my room at night.
‘I would wake up in the middle of the night worried that he would come in and finish me off.’ This had caused trauma and she had suffered panic attacks and nightmares. She was frightened to leave the house and could not return to work for more than two months.
Julia Baggs, mitigating, said that Turner pleaded guilty and he was extremely remorseful. There had been no other incidents and he was of positive good character.
Five references described him as hardworking, reliable and a dedicated family man, who was always there for others and was willing to help. He acted completely out of character during a relationship of 30 years, 28 of them married.
He was devastated that it had ruined their relationship and he was deeply sorry.
He had been a businessman but the business closed about five years ago because of illness suffered by him. He had ongoing health problems and had moved to a new area.
Turner, of Harlow Park Crescent, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, was given a 20-month suspended prison sentence, 200 hours’ unpaid work, a 26-day probation service Building Choices programme and 10 days’ rehabilitation.
He was ordered to pay £2,000 compensation and a £187 victims’ surcharge. He was given a 10-year restraining order.
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