David Turner, 61, admitted assaulting his wife, causing actual bodily harm, during their stay at the Le Meridien Khao Lak Resort and Spa in Thailand in July 2024
A drunken ex-businessman brutally attacked his wife during a luxury five-star holiday, a court heard.
David Turner, 61, admitted assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, during their stay at the Le Meridien Khao Lak Resort and Spa on the west coast of Thailand on July 4, 2024.
The victim, who was strangled, punched in the head and kicked in the legs, described Turner as “frothing at the mouth, shouting and screaming” during the attack, Hull Crown Court was told. She said she has been “living a nightmare” ever since, and that before a non-molestation order was granted, she would wake at night in fear that he might enter her home and “finish me off”.
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Stephen Welch, prosecuting, told the court that Turner and his wife were on holiday in Thailand at the time with their adult son and Turner’s father. Turner had been drinking cocktails and went missing for a time before being found violently ill in a bathroom. When his wife tried to help him, along with their son, who was “equally poorly”, Turner accused her of having gone missing, even though she had been nearby the entire time.
He then forcefully pushed her into wardrobe drawers and began strangling her. She thought that “this was it” and described Turner as “frothing at the mouth, shouting and screaming”. He kicked her repeatedly in the body and legs, then strangled her and struck her head against the toilet floor. “He strangled her again before punching her repeatedly in the head until she blacked out,” the prosecutor added.
“She thought that she was going to die,” Mr Welch said. “Then he approached her with a knife. She screamed at him: ‘Stop it. What are you doing?’ He threw the knife at her before accusing her incorrectly of having been gone two hours. Their son came out of the bathroom and the defendant threatened to kill her in the presence of her son. She wanted to call the police but she didn’t have the local number.”
Turner also called her an abusive name, Hull Live reports. “The next morning, she and her son retrieved their passports from the defendant and they left,” said Mr Welch. The victim suffered extensive bruising to her head, face, body and limbs.
Turner, formerly from Hull and Beverley, was arrested after returning from Thailand. He made no comment during a police interview and had no previous convictions.
The victim said the attack had left her traumatised. “The past year has been a living nightmare,” she said, describing how it had affected all aspects of her life, including her personal wellbeing, mental health, work, family and friends. “Since the incident happened, I have noticed an immense effect,” she said. “I became a recluse. I felt I could not even leave the house. I was terrified of seeing Dave.
“It was only when I was granted a non-molestation order that I felt I could go out. My brother had to change the locks of the house because Dave had a key. I was scared he was in my room at night. I would wake up in the middle of the night worried that he would come in and finish me off.”
She described suffering from panic attacks and nightmares and being unable to return to work for over two months.
Julia Baggs, mitigating, said Turner pleaded guilty and was extremely remorseful. There had been no previous incidents and he was of good character, with five references describing him as hardworking, reliable and a dedicated family man. The attack was completely out of character after 28 years of marriage, according to his defence.
He was said to be devastated that it had ruined their relationship and deeply remorseful. Turner had previously been a businessman, but his business closed around five years ago due to illness. He also had ongoing health problems and had recently moved to a new area.
Turner, of Harlow Park Crescent, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, was given a 20-month suspended prison sentence, 200 hours of unpaid work, a 26-day probation service Building Choices programme and 10 days of rehabilitation. He was ordered to pay £2,000 in compensation and a £187 victim surcharge. He was also given a 10-year restraining order.
For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk. If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk.
