JOHN BROADHURST SENTENCED IN STAFFORDSHIRE FOR FATAL INCIDENT INVOLVING NATALIE CONNOLLY

In 2016, John Broadhurst, a wealthy businessman, was handed a sentence of three years and eight months in prison following the death of his partner, Natalie Connolly, at their home in Kinver, Staffordshire. During the trial, it emerged that Ms. Connolly had sustained over 40 injuries prior to her death, which occurred after Broadhurst called emergency services on December 18, 2016. Originally charged with murder, Broadhurst pled guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence, leading to the charge being downgraded. He explained that Ms. Connolly was injured during consensual sexual activity influenced by alcohol and drugs and added that he found her 'dead as a doughnut' at the foot of their stairs. Prosecutors argued that Broadhurst 'totally lost it' during a drink and drug-fueled sexual encounter and left Ms. Connolly to die. The case was referred to the Attorney General’s office under the unduly lenient sentence scheme, but the office decided not to refer it to the Court of Appeal because the sentence was within the permissible range for the judge. Harriet Harman, MP, expressed her disappointment, questioning whether the sentence was too 'lenient,' and Ms. Connolly’s father, Alan Andrews, called the verdict 'disgraceful,' stating, 'To say you can be out in 22 months for doing what he did to my daughter, we can’t believe it.'