Property Developer Acquitted of Strangling Wife Amid Divorce Dispute
A jury found Paul Pressland not guilty of assault after his wife accused him of strangulation during an argument at their £3 million home.
A property developer from Sandbanks has been acquitted of strangling his wife during a dispute over their divorce. Paul Pressland, 63, was cleared by a jury at Salisbury Crown Court after his wife, Gemma Martin, 52, accused him of squeezing her throat during an argument on December 1, 2024.
Pressland had claimed he acted in self-defense during the altercation at their £3 million mansion in Poole, Dorset. The court heard that the couple had hosted Ms. Martin's parents for a Sunday roast before the argument escalated. According to the prosecution, Ms. Martin threw her Ugg slippers at Pressland as he brushed his teeth, leading him to punch her, pin her against a door, and squeeze her neck.
Pressland, however, testified that Ms. Martin struck him and pulled his hair after she entered the en-suite bathroom. He stated that the couple then 'tussled' and fell to the floor. He suggested a bruise on Ms. Martin's back resulted from being pushed against a door handle during this struggle, and marks on her neck may have been caused by a wetsuit she wore for a charity swim that day.
Ms. Martin, described by her estranged husband as 'Amazonian,' is a fit and strong woman who participates in boxing and personal training, Pressland told the court. "I didn't use excessive force, I did what I felt was necessary to placate the situation and defend myself against somebody who was attacking me," he said.
The jury deliberated for one hour before reaching the not-guilty verdict. Pressland expressed relief but stated there were "no winners" in the case and that he was sorry for what everyone involved had to endure, particularly his ex-stepsons. "But you have to put your faith in the jury system to find the truth," he added.
The court heard that Ms. Martin had drawn up a handwritten divorce wish list that included a £1 million home, a £35,000 Range Rover, and £60,000 in annual maintenance. The couple, who married in 2022 after getting together in 2014, were in the process of an acrimonious divorce, with Ms. Martin filing paperwork on the grounds of adultery. Pressland stated he was disappointed to learn of the divorce filing through hearsay rather than direct communication.
Ms. Martin had testified that she remembered Pressland squeezing her neck, causing her to feel unable to breathe, her head to spin, and her eyes to bulge. She stated she thought, "this is it" and felt overpowered. She reported falling to the floor, screaming, hyperventilating, and experiencing a panic attack due to severe trauma after he released her.
Pressland claimed he acted in self-defense when Ms. Martin entered the ensuite, began verbally abusing him, and physically attacked him by striking him with her fists and pulling his hair.