Sandbanks businessman ‘strangled his wife in drunken row following Sunday roast after she filed for divorce over affair’

A BUSINESSMAN strangled his wife during a drunken row over divorce after a family Sunday roast, a court heard.

Paul Pressland, 63, was accused of being unfaithful during a heated argument with wife Gemma Martin, 52, at their £3m Sandbanks home.

The wealthy property developer had almost an entire bottle of red wine before confronting his wife about her filing for , a jury was told.

During the row – which erupted after dinner with his in-laws – Ms Martin threw a slipper at her husband, who she claimed had been unfaithful.

Prosecutors say the company director reacted by pinning her against their ensuite bathroom door during the horror on December 1, 2024.

He is alleged to have placed his hands around her throat and squeezed until her eyes “bulged”, before dropping her to the floor.

Ms Martin initially told Pressland she would not tell anyone about what happened as long as he granted her a divorce, it is alleged.

But two days later, she went to play tennis with her then 19-year-old son Henry and decided to report the incident to .

She got her son to take pictures of the bruises and marks she said were caused by Pressland.

The mother-of-three also changed the locks of their luxury harbourside home in Poole, Dorset, while her husband was away working in London.

Pressland denies a charge of intentional strangulation and claims he acted in self defence.

Salisbury Crown Court heard the couple had been together for about ten years, but were only married for two at the time of the incident.

They lived on the exclusive Sandbanks peninsula with two of Ms Martin’s children from a previous relationship.

Ms Martin said she had told him she wanted a divorce but not that she had filed for one “on the grounds of his adultery”.

She told the court on the day of the row that she had taken part in a swim, which her mother went to watch.

Afterwards her parents joined them for a roast dinner which Pressland had cooked while they were out.

She said her husband started drinking before she got home at around 5.30pm, as she noticed a bottle of wine was almost empty.

She said they had a nice family dinner, with everyone “in good spirits” but after her parents left a few hours later, Pressland’s mood changed.

Ms Martin said: “During the meal he was very light-hearted, when everyone left he became morose and agitated, he was argumentative.

“I had told him that I wanted a divorce, I hadn’t told him that I had filed. He was upset I had filed for divorce on the grounds of his adultery.

“It was a heated discussion from both sides. We decided to go to bed, he continued the argument upstairs.

“I was frustrated and I threw a slipper after he walked into the spare bedroom… He came back into the main bedroom.

“I think he pushed me, he grabbed my arm and the corridor is quite narrow and I remember falling from one side to the other.

“I was frightened. He grabbed my arms with both his hands. I pushed back. He punched me in my ribs and my back.”

The jury heard Ms Martin then lashed out and scratched Pressland during the row.

She added: “He then pushed me against the en suite bathroom sliding door, put his hands around my throat and started to squeeze.

“I remember him squeezing and everything going a little blank. I couldn’t breathe, I could feel my head spinning and my eyes bulging.

“I just thought ‘this is it’. I felt overpowered. He let go after about five seconds and I fell to the floor.

“I started screaming, hyperventilating and went into a panic attack. I was in shock from severe trauma.”

The court heard her two sons rushed into the room and called their grandparents to come back while Pressland went into the spare bedroom.

Ms Martin said the next morning she went to speak to Pressland and told him she wouldn’t tell anyone what he had done but she wanted a divorce.

She said: “I said ‘you tried to strangle me’ and he said ‘I’m sorry’.”

The 55-year-old told the court her husband left for work in London and she spent the day on the sofa.

It was the next day she decided to call the police.

Harriet Summerhayes, prosecuting, said: “This is a case of domestic violence, two people who have been together for a very long time.

“One night when in drink, their relationship took a turn.

“They started having a verbal argument, the reason because Mr Pressland discovered Ms Martin had filed for a divorce.

“He discovered via a friend and not Ms Martin, this made him particularly cross that day.

“During the course of the argument he took off his wedding ring and threw it across the room.

“They both went upstairs, the argument continued and escalated into a physical argument.”

Graham Gilbert, defending, said Pressland had bought the Sandbanks house for Ms Martin in 2017.

But he didn’t move in with them until July 2022.

Mr Gilbert suggested Pressland had tried to end the conversation and go to bed in the spare room alone.

He claimed Ms Martin had followed and attacked him, throwing the slipper at him.

Mr Gilbert said she then came back and attacked him several times – hitting him in the face and upper body then pulling him by his hair.

He also alleged her injuries were sustained in the struggle as Pressland tried to defend himself.

Ms Martin said his version of events “did not happen”.

The trial continues.