Tycoon who killed girlfriend after 'rough' intimacy jailed

A multi-millionaire who admitted leaving his injured girlfriend to die after a drug and alcohol-fuelled session of "rough sex" has been jailed for three years and eight months.

Property tycoon John Broadhurst was cleared of murdering Natalie Connolly and causing her grievous bodily harm, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of gross negligence.

The 40-year-old, who was told to expect a jail sentence, carried a duffel bag as he arrived at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday morning.

Broadhurst said during his trial that he left the injured and bleeding mum-of-one Miss Connolly, 26, to die at their home after she suffered more than 40 separate injuries.

Following an S&M sex session, he dialled 999 from the home in Kinver, West Midlands, and told the operator he had found his partner "dead as a doughnut" at the bottom of the stairs, his trial heard.

Jailing Broadhurst, Mr Justice Julian Knowles accepted that the property developer and Miss Connolly had been happy together during their brief relationship.

But the judge told Broadhurst: "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, who was found in a pool of blood, was pronounced dead at the home by a paramedic on the morning of December 18, 2016.

A post-mortem showed she had suffered more than 40 separate injuries, including serious internal trauma and blunt-force trauma to her head, buttocks and breast.

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