'DECEITFUL AND DEVIOUS'
Widower’s fury as killer cop who strangled lover to death gets just 10 years
THE husband of a killer cop's victim said he is "incredibly disappointed" at the not-guilty verdict reached for the "well-practised liar".
Married Timothy Brehmer was unanimously cleared of Claire Parry's murder by a jury yesterday, having previously admitted manslaughter.
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He was sentenced, however, to ten years and six months today for killing Ms Parry after she told his wife about their 11-year affair.
In a statement after the sentencing, Mrs Parry's husband Andrew Parry called Mr Brehmer a "well-practised liar with years of experience".
He said: "I am incredibly disappointed at the verdict of this trial. I believe Brehmer's account of that day to be inconsistent and untruthful.
"As the murder trial heard, he conducted a factory reset on his mobile telephone which has hindered the police investigation and leaves us with an incomplete picture of events on that day.
Brehmer is a well-practised liar with years of experience. He has shown himself - as the trial exposed - to be consistently dishonest, deceitful and devious.
Andrew Parry
"I feel we will never truly know exactly what happened.
"What we do know is that Brehmer used such force against Claire that she suffered fractures to her neck, lost consciousness, went into cardiac arrest and eventually died.
"Having used that amount of force, he has failed to render any assistance to her which could have saved her life. As a trained police officer, he would have had the ability to do this.
"Instead, he chose to tell lies from the moment he was discovered by witnesses, stating that Claire had stabbed him.
"He has since admitted that this was a lie and that he inflicted those injuries on himself.
"This lie led to a delay in Claire receiving what could have been lifesaving treatment, a fact that remains incredibly distressing."
He went on to add: "Brehmer is a well-practised liar with years of experience.
"He has shown himself - as the trial exposed - to be consistently dishonest, deceitful and devious. We do not accept his version of events and all the inconsistencies that it contains."
'YOU KNEW WHAT YOU HAD DONE'
As he was sentenced, 41-year-old Brehmer was told by the judge, Mr Justice Jacobs, "you knew full well what you had done", after seeing footage of him break down while being tended to by medics.
The former traffic cop grabbed the mum-of-two by the neck "deliberately" and killed her after "losing his self-control" as she texted his wife Martha to reveal their affair, the judge said.
He rejected Brehmer’s claims he killed Mrs Parry by accident in a "kerfuffle" – and slammed him for lying about it as cops arrived.
Mr Jacobs said the experienced officer “must have known” she was dying, after he caused her "severe" neck injuries but “did nothing to help”.
He continued: "You were crying because you appreciated the enormity of what you had done and the impact it would have on you.
"I should sentence you on the basis you lost your self-control following the sending of the text message to your wife where the affair was revealed, rather than on the basis that you had no intention to kill or cause really serious harm.
"I am sure that you did deliberately take Claire Parry by the neck applying significant force with your forearm or the crook of your elbow for a period of time while she struggled against you, thereby causing the severe neck injuries which the pathologist described."
In a blistering response to Brehmer's claims in court he didn't realise Mrs Parry was seriously hurt, the judge said: "You could not possibly thought, as you said in your police interview, that she was simply taking a breath.
"You must have known that her body had gone limp after your assault on her.
"Before you walked to the car park entrance you must have seen how she was - hanging half out of the car."
The judge berated Brehmer for falsely blaming Mrs Parry for stabbing him, saying the "lies were particularly serious as you were a serving police officer".
It comes after Brehmer was unanimously cleared of the murder of Claire Parry by a jury yesterday, having previously admitting manslaughter.
The former officer with Dorset Police accepted he killed the nurse as she sent a message from his phone to his partner saying "I'm cheating on you".
But he claimed the married mum suffered fatal injuries as he tried to push her out of the car and drive away.
This man has caused devastating changes to our lives which we will always live with and suffer.
Claire Parry's parents
He told the court he hadn't realised how "poorly" Mrs Parry was until police arrived.
She was left with "unsurvivable brain injuries" after she was strangled in the car park of the Horns Inn pub in West Parley, Dorset, around 3pm on May 9 and died in hospital the next day.
A post-mortem examination concluded that the cause of death was a brain injury caused by compression of the neck.
The court previously heard the married officer broke down when paramedics rushed to the scene.
Jurors at Salisbury Crown Court heard how Brehmer, described as a “man w****”, sobbed: "I've f***ed up".
The officer said "god, she's got kids" as he wept after the mum-of-two was found limp in his Citroen C1.
Jurors were shown bodycam footage of Brehmer crying and saying "I'm sorry" as officers told him he would be arrested.
Jo Martin QC, defending, said Brehmer was remorseful for his actions and told her after being acquitted of murder: "It doesn't change anything. I am still responsible for Claire's death."
She added: "Mr Brehmer pleaded guilty to the offence which is one indication of remorse. His remorse is genuine and will live with him long past any sentence this court imposes."
Brehmer - described in court as a "womaniser" - said he had planned to kill himself because of the consequences to his family of their affair being revealed.
'COERCIVE AND CONTROLLING'
Yesterday Mrs Parry's family condemned Brehmer for being "the worst kind of thief" - who "robbed her children of a million hugs and kisses from their mummy".
Her husband Andrew Parry launched a scathing attack on Brehmer as he read his victim impact statement to jurors, claiming the police officer told "lie after lie" and shed "crocodile tears" during the trial.
The Dorset Police constable said: "Claire meant so much to so many people and he has robbed me of the opportunity to save my marriage.
"This trial has been a whole new level of pain and humiliation for me, listening to Brehmer tell lie after lie."
And he revealed how he was left feeling "helpless" as his daughter woke up crying for her mother - while their son had at first thought he was joking when he told them their mum had died.
He said: "I was so useless. I have never felt so lonely."
Jane and Philip Jordan, Mrs Parry's parents, added: "This man has caused devastating changes to our lives which we will always live with and suffer."
Brehmer's mother, Rosalyn Chivers, and his sister Kirsten cried and hugged each other moments after the verdict was delivered clearing Brehmer of murder yesterday.
This is a case where I should sentence you on the basis you lost your self-control following the sending of the text message to your wife where the affair was revealed, rather than on the basis that you had no intention to kill or cause really serious harm.
Justice Jacobs
The court heard previously how Brehmer had told wife Martha at around 12pm he was going to pick up some steaks for a family BBQ planned later that day.
Around three hours later, she received a message saying "I am cheating on you" from her husband's phone.
The court was told Claire had sent the text to Martha after growing "angry and upset"; with her lover.
In the days before her death, Mrs Parry had started to believe her marriage was coming to an end as well as her relationship with the defendant.
The court heard she discovered Brehmer was having affairs with at least two other women and was dubbed "Mr Smooth" for his string of mistresses.
Mrs Parry had found out he had had a relationship with fellow police officer Kate Rhodes at the same time he was seeing her.
Giving evidence at Salisbury Crown Court, Ms Rhodes, a detective constable, said Brehmer used "grooming" techniques to exert "coercive and controlling behaviour" over women.
She said: "Tim had some sort of hold over me, that's the only way I can describe it."
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Brehmer said that when Mrs Parry drove into the car park she was angry, and after she got into his vehicle she asked for his phone so she could look through his social media apps.
He said that at one point he stabbed his arm three times with a penknife but Mrs Parry "did not care".
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He said he demanded she get out of his car but she refused, so he first tried to pull her out before he "bundled" into the car to try to push her out, and his arm "must have slipped up in all the melee".
At the time of the incident, Brehmer was seconded to the National Police Air Service based at Bournemouth Airport. He has since been sacked by Dorset Police.
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a . from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
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