Paul Pressland, a 63-year-old Sandbanks property developer, is accused of strangling his wife, Gemma Martin, 52, at their £3 million home after she threatened to file for divorce over his affair. The incident occurred on December 1, 2024, following a family dinner where Pressland had consumed almost an entire bottle of wine. According to the prosecution, during a heated argument that followed their guests leaving, Martin threw a slipper at Pressland when he confronted her about filing for divorce, leading him to allegedly strangle her until she feared for her life. She later reported the incident to police and asked her son to document injuries sustained in the altercation.
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A Sandbanks property developer strangled his wife in a drunken row following a family Sunday roast after she filed for a divorce over his affair, a court has heard.
asserted
court → see → affair
Paul Pressland, 63, had drunk almost a bottle of red wine before having dinner with his wife, Gemma Martin, 52, and his in-laws on December 1, 2024 at their Dorset home.
asserted
Pressland → drink → home
After their guests had left, Pressland confronted Ms Martin because he had heard from a friend that she was filing for divorce, a jury at Salisbury Crown Court was told.
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jury → leave → Court
It led to a heated argument that saw Ms Martin throw a slipper at her husband, who she claimed had been unfaithful in their marriage.
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she → lead → marriage
Prosecutors say he reacted by pinning her against the door of their en suite and strangling her, making her fear for her life.
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her → say → life
Pressland is alleged to have placed his hands around her throat and squeezed until her eyes 'bulged' before she dropped to the floor.
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she → allege → floor
Ms Martin, an interior designer, is alleged to have initially told Pressland that she would not tell anyone about what happened as long as he granted her a divorce.
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he → allege → divorce
But two days later she went to play tennis with her 19-year-old son Henry and decided to report the incident to police online.
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she → go → police
Paul Pressland, 63, is alleged to have strangled his wife Gina Martin, 52, leaving her in fear for her life during a row at their Sandbanks home in December 2024
Ms Martin said she was also punched during the row, which was sparked by Pressland discovering she had filed for divorce
She asked her son to take pictures of the bruises and marks that she claims were caused by Pressland.
The mother-of-three also had the locks of their £3million harbourside home in Sandbanks, near Poole in Dorset, changed while her husband was away working in London.
uncertain
husband → allege → London
Pressland denies a charge of intentional strangulation and claims he acted in self-defence.
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he → deny → defence
The couple had been together for around ten years but only married for two, the court heard.
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court → marry → two
They lived on the exclusive Sandbanks peninsula with two of Ms Martin's children from a previous relationship.
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They → live → relationship
Ms Martin said she had told Pressland she wanted a divorce but had not informed him that she had filed for one 'on the grounds of his adultery'.
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she → say → adultery
She told the court she had taken part in charity swim, which her mother went to watch, on the day of the row.
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mother → tell → row
Afterwards her parents joined the couple for a roast dinner, which Pressland had cooked while they were out.
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they → join → which
Ms Martin said her husband had likely started drinking before she got home between 5pm and 5.30pm, because she noticed a bottle of wine was three-quarters empty.
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bottle → say → wine
She said they had a nice family dinner, with everyone 'in good spirits' but after her parents left about 8.30pm Pressland's mood changed.
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mood → say → spirits
Ms Martin added: 'During the meal he was very light-hearted, when everyone left he became morose and agitated, he was argumentative.
'
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he → add → meal
I had told him that I wanted a divorce, I hadn't told him that I had filed.
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I → tell → him
He was upset I had filed for divorce on the grounds of his adultery.
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I → upset → adultery
We decided to go to bed, he continued the argument upstairs.
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he → decide → argument
'It got to a point where he walked away at the height of the argument.
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he → get → argument
I was frustrated and I threw a slipper after he walked into the spare bedroom.
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he → throw → bedroom
He came back into the main bedroom.
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He → come → 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.
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I → think → other
He grabbed my arms with both his hands.
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He → grab → hands
I pushed back.
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I → push → ?
He punched me in my ribs and my back.
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He → punch → ribs
'
The jury heard Ms Martin lashed out and scratched Pressland.
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Martin → hear → Pressland
She said: 'He then pushed me against the en suite bathroom sliding door, put his hands around my throat and started to squeeze.
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He → say → throat
'I remember him squeezing and everything going a little blank.
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everything → remember → ?
I couldn't breathe, I could feel my head spinning and my eyes bulging.
uncertain
eyes → breathe → ?
'I just thought "this is it".
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this → think → ?
I felt overpowered.
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I → feel → ?
He let go after about five seconds
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He → go → seconds
I fell to the floor.
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I → fall → floor
I started screaming, hyperventilating and went into a panic attack.
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I → start → attack
The court heard her two sons rushed into the room and called their grandparents to come back while Pressland went into the spare bedroom.
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Pressland → hear → 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.
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she → say → divorce
She continued: 'I said "you tried to strangle me" and he said "I'm sorry".'
Ms Martin told the court he left for work in London and she spent the day on the sofa.
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she → continue → sofa
…and 12 more, not listed.
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