A Sandbanks property developer strangled his wife in a drunken argument following a Sunday roast after she filed for divorce over his affair, a court has heard. Paul Pressland, 63, is accused of pinning his wife, Gemma Martin, 52, against a bathroom door and strangling her on December 1, 2024, after she had informed him she was seeking a divorce.
Prosecutors told Salisbury Crown Court that Pressland had consumed nearly a bottle of red wine before the family meal at their Dorset home. After the guests, Ms. Martin's parents, departed, Pressland confronted his wife about the divorce filing, which he had learned about from a friend. The court heard that this led to a heated exchange, during which Ms. Martin threw a slipper at her husband, accusing him of infidelity.
The company director allegedly reacted by grabbing Ms. Martin's arms and squeezing her throat until her eyes "bulged" and she feared for her life. The interior designer reportedly told Pressland that she would not report the incident if he granted her a divorce. However, two days later, she reported the incident to the police online and had her son take pictures of the bruises she claimed were inflicted by Pressland. While her husband was away working in London, Ms. Martin also changed the locks at their harborside home in Poole.
Pressland denies a charge of intentional strangulation, maintaining that he acted in self-defense. The court heard that the couple had been together for approximately ten years and had been married for two years at the time of the alleged incident. They resided on the exclusive Sandbanks peninsula with two of Ms. Martin's children from a previous relationship.
Ms. Martin testified that she had told Pressland she wanted a divorce but had not disclosed that she had filed for one on the grounds of his adultery. She stated that on the day of the argument, her parents joined them for a roast dinner. Pressland began drinking before she returned home, as evidenced by a nearly empty wine bottle. While the dinner itself was pleasant, Pressland's mood shifted after her parents left.
"During the meal he was very light-hearted, when everyone left he became morose and agitated, he was argumentative," Ms. Martin told the court. She recounted that Pressland became upset upon learning she had filed for divorce based on his adultery. The argument escalated, and they moved upstairs. At one point, Ms. Martin threw a slipper after Pressland walked into a spare bedroom. She testified that he returned, grabbed her arm, and pushed her against a bathroom door, then placed his hands around her throat and squeezed. "I couldn't breathe, I could feel my head spinning and my eyes bulging. I just thought 'this is it.' I felt overpowered," she said.
Ms. Martin stated that Pressland released her after about five seconds, and she fell to the floor, experiencing a panic attack. Her sons entered the room, and Pressland went to the spare bedroom. The next morning, Ms. Martin told Pressland she would not report the incident if he granted the divorce, to which he allegedly responded, "I'm sorry."
Harriet Summerhayes, the prosecutor, described the case as one of domestic violence, noting that the relationship took a turn "when in drink." She reiterated that the argument began when Pressland discovered the divorce filing from a friend, which particularly angered him. The defense, represented by Graham Gilbert, suggested that Pressland attempted to end the conversation and that Ms. Martin initiated the physical altercation, hitting him and pulling his hair. Gilbert contended that Pressland's injuries were sustained while defending himself. Ms. Martin denied this version of events.
The trial is ongoing.