John Broadhurst, 40, arrives at Birmingham Crown Court this morning wearing jeans and carrying a large Nike holdall
The family of a woman killed by her property tycoon boyfriend in an alcohol and cocaine-fuelled S&M sex session today slammed him for being ‘callous’ as he was jailed for more than three years.
John Broadhurst, 40, left Natalie Connolly, 26, in a pool of blood at the bottom of a staircase of their £600,000 home after ‘totally losing it’.
He called emergency services hours later and told the operator his partner was ‘dead as a doughnut’, his trial at at Birmingham Crown Court was told.
The multi-millionaire businessman was initially charged with murder but he claimed he had only hurt her ‘within the boundaries of her masochistic desires’.
Miss Connolly’s family said in a statement today: ‘During the last five weeks we have had to endure hearing the most horrendous and harrowing evidence of how Broadhurst left Natalie at the bottom of the stairs.
‘Instead of getting Natalie the medical help she needed, Broadhurst chose to go to bed and sleep instead.
‘He has demonstrated what a callous, disrespectful person he really is, and has never publicly apologised or shown any remorse.’
Miss Connolly (above) was found in a pool of blood at the base of the staircase in 2016, having suffered over 40 injuries – including blunt-force trauma to her head, buttocks and breast
Relatives of Miss Connolly – who died from acute alcohol intoxication and blunt force injuries – added: ‘If Broadhurst had got the medical help from the emergency services at the time of this incident, Natalie may still be alive.
‘Natalie was a loving and caring daughter, granddaughter, and sister, but above all she was a loving mother to her 10-year old daughter, who now has to grow up without her Mummy by her side.
‘She will to have to live a life sentence without her Mummy. Natalie was, and still is at the centre of our world, and we will all try to rebuild our lives knowing we will no longer have the beauty, the joy and the happiness of having Natalie by our side.’
Miss Connolly was killed after the couple had spent a day drinking alcohol and taking cocaine before engaging in ‘rough sex’ on December 18, 2016.
The mother-of-one – who called Broadhurst ‘The Boss’ – was found with her black skirt rolled up to her waist at the property in Kinver, West Midlands.
Gemma Andrews, Miss Connolly’s sister, leaves Birmingham Crown Court today. Family members, who wore pink roses in memory of her, wept with relief as Broadhurst was jailed
Paramedics found her in a pool of blood with over 40 injuries including multiple head wounds and injuries to her buttocks and breasts.
Among her injuries was a blow-out fracture to her left eye, said by the prosecution to be consistent with ‘punch or toe-poke kicks’, as well as facial bruising.
John Broadhurst’s police mugshot, issued after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter
Miss Connolly had also suffered horrific internal injuries which it was claimed were inflicted during a grisly sex game involving a bottle of 1001 Carpet Cleaner.
Part way through his trial, Broadhurst pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the basis of gross negligence and he was cleared of murder and grievous bodily harm.
Broadhurst, of Wolverley, Worcestershire, who arrived at court today wearing jeans and carrying a large Nike holdall, was jailed for three years and eight months.
Jailing Broadhurst, Mr Justice Julian Knowles accepted that he and Miss Connolly had been happy together during their brief relationship.
But the judge told the property developer: ‘You were capable of taking decisions and making choices. This was grossly irresponsible behaviour by you.
‘You left that vulnerable young woman to die in the saddest and most avoidable of circumstances. You showed blatant disregard for a very drunk and injured woman.’
Miss Connolly was discovered wearing only a black skirt which was pulled up to her waist at the couple’s £600,000 home (pictured) in Kinver, West Midlands, on December 18, 2016
Members of Miss Connolly’s family, who wore pink roses in memory of her, wept with relief as Broadhurst was jailed.
Offering mitigation before sentencing, defence QC Stephen Vullo said Broadhurst had set up home with Miss Connolly in the context of a loving relationship.
The couple had both been drinking heavily and had taken cocaine on the day leading up to Ms Connolly’s death, the court heard.
Stressing that Broadhurst had been cleared of what prosecutors initially claimed was an ‘angry’ assault, Mr Vullo said today of Miss Connolly’s death: ‘He accepts he should have recognised the risk she was in and failed to do so.
‘He feels remorse for it and always has done. This case is about negligence and somebody losing a loved one.’
The lawyer added that Broadhurst knew his partner was bleeding but did not think she would come to any harm. ‘The backdrop to this was a loving, and what was going to be a long-term, relationship,’ Mr Vullo added.
The property developer with a £15 million fortune, went on trial last month charged with murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent.
Jurors heard Broadhurst may have wanted to ‘teach Natalie a lesson’ after finding out she had been sending topless pictures to another man on social media.
The court heard Miss Connolly and father-of-three Broadhurst regularly indulged in S&M sex sessions involving a leather belt.
The couple first started an affair while Broadhurst was in a relationship with his pregnant long term partner before getting together in July 2016.
But the court heard Miss Connolly, a receptionist, had been sending another man photos of her wearing underwear and messaging her ex-boyfriend.
Prosecutor David Mason QC said: ‘Broadhurst has lost it with Natalie that night.
Miss Connolly was praised as ‘a loving and caring daughter, granddaughter, and sister’
‘He has beaten her with fists and weapons, punched or kicked her to the face, severely damaged her private parts and lied about it afterwards to cover his tracks.’
Earlier on that day, the couple had spent the afternoon drinking after watching West Bromwich Albion play Manchester United before going for a curry.
They were taken home in Broadhurst’s chauffeur-driven Range Rover where the couple consumed more alcohol and took two grams of cocaine.
Broadhurst claimed Miss Connolly later indicated she wanted to have masochistic sex and he had found her dead at the foot of the stairs the next morning.
Post-mortem analysis found she died from her injuries in conjunction with alcohol intoxication. She was found to have been more than five times the drink-drive limit.