A Sandbanks property developer allegedly strangled his wife during a drunken argument following a family Sunday roast, after she filed for divorce over his affair, a court has heard.
Paul Pressland, 63, had consumed almost a bottle of red wine before sitting down to dinner with his wife, Gemma Martin, 52, and her parents at their home in Dorset on December 1, 2024.
After the family gathering ended, Pressland confronted Ms Martin after learning from a friend that she was filing for divorce, jurors at Salisbury Crown Court were told.
The confrontation escalated into a heated dispute. During the argument, Ms Martin threw a slipper at her husband, whom she accused of being unfaithful during their marriage.
Prosecutors allege that the company director then pinned her against the door of their en suite bathroom and strangled her, leaving her fearing for her life.
He is accused of putting his hands around her throat and squeezing until her eyes “bulged”, before she collapsed to the floor.
Ms Martin, an interior designer, initially told Pressland she would keep the incident private if he agreed to grant her a divorce, the court heard.
However, two days later, she played tennis with her son Henry, who was then 19, and decided to report the alleged assault to police online.
Paul Pressland, 63, is alleged to have strangled his wife Gina Martin, 52, leaving her fearful for her life during a row at their Sandbanks home in December 2024
Ms Martin said she was also punched during the row, which began after Pressland discovered she had filed for divorce
She asked her son to photograph the bruises and other marks she said had been inflicted by Pressland.
The mother of three also arranged for the locks to be changed at their luxury harbourside home in Poole, Dorset, while her husband was working in London.
Pressland denies a charge of intentional strangulation and maintains that he was acting in self-defence.
The couple had been together for around a decade but had been married for only two years when the alleged incident took place. They lived on the exclusive Sandbanks peninsula with two of Ms Martin’s children from a previous relationship.
Ms Martin told the court that she had informed Pressland she wanted a divorce but had not told him she had already filed on the grounds of his adultery. On the day of the argument, she said, she had taken part in a charity swim attended by her mother.
Afterwards her parents joined them for a roast dinner which Pressland had cooked while they were out.
She said her husband started drinking before she got home at between 5-5.30pm, as she noticed a bottle of wine was three-quarters empty.
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.
Ms Martin said: ‘During the meal he was very light-hearted, when everyone left he became morose and agitated, he was argumentative.
‘I had told him that I wanted a divorce, I hadn’t told him that I had filed. He was upset I had filed for divorce on the grounds of his adultery.
‘It was a heated discussion from both sides. We decided to go to bed, he continued the argument upstairs.
‘It got to a point where he walked away at the height of the argument. I was frustrated and I threw a slipper after he walked into the spare bedroom.
‘He came back into the main 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. I was frightened.
‘He grabbed my arms with both his hands. I pushed back. He punched me in my ribs and my back.’
The jury heard Ms Martin lashed out and scratched Pressland.
She added: ‘He then pushed me against the en-suite bathroom sliding door, put his hands around my throat and started to squeeze.
‘I remember him squeezing and everything going a little blank. I couldn’t breathe, I could feel my head spinning and my eyes bulging.
‘I just thought “this is it.” I felt overpowered.
‘He let go after about five seconds and I fell to the floor. I started screaming, hyperventilating and went into a panic attack. I was in shock from severe trauma.’
The court heard her two sons rushed into the room and called their grandparents to come back while Pressland went into the spare 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.
She continued: ‘I said “you tried to strangle me” and he said “I’m sorry”.’
She told the court he left for work in London and she spent the day on the sofa.
It was the next day she decided to call the police.
Harriet Summerhayes, prosecuting, said: ‘This is a case of domestic violence, two people who have been together for a very long time. One night when in drink, their relationship took a turn.
‘They started having a verbal argument, the reason because Mr Pressland discovered Ms Martin had filed for a divorce. He discovered via a friend and not Ms Martin, this made him particularly cross that day.
‘During the course of the argument he took off his wedding ring and threw it across the room.
‘They both went upstairs, the argument continued and escalated into a physical argument.’
Graham Gilbert, defending, said Pressland had bought the Sandbanks house for Ms Martin in 2017 but didn’t move in with them until July 2022.
Mr Gilbert suggested Pressland had tried to end the conversation and go to bed in the spare room alone and Ms Martin had followed and attacked him, throwing the slipper at him.
He said she then came back and attacked him several times – hitting him in the face and upper body then pulling him onto the landing by his hair.
He also alleged her injuries were sustained in the struggle as Pressland tried to defend himself.
Ms Martin said his version of events ‘did not happen’.
The trial continues.
