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Businessman ‘left his injured partner to die after sex session'

A businessman ‘callously’ left his naked partner bleeding at the bottom of the stairs after a drink-and-drugs-fuelled masochistic rampage, a murder trial has heard.

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Police at the house where Natalie Connolly, inset, died

John Broadhurst allegedly ‘totally lost it’ during a sex session with Natalie Connolly – beating her with his fists, spraying her face with bleach and causing internal injuries with a bottle of cleaning product.

‘Wealthy’ Broadhurst is alleged to have discovered his partner was messaging ex-boyfriends and had arranged to meet a man in Dubai after sending topless pictures to him.

Opening the case at Birmingham Crown Court today, prosecutor Mr David Mason QC said: “She died virtually naked, she died on her own after she has been left there by the man who said, and still says, he loved her.

“He left her at the bottom of the stairs in a dreadful physical state, heavily intoxicated and very badly injured.

“She was bleeding heavily from many different injuries to her body, she was very severely bruised, she was incredibly drunk and had consumed cocaine and other drugs.

“How, you may well ask yourselves, could any man that is supposedly in love with Natalie, leave her to die in the way that he did?”

999 call

Broadhurst claims he discovered Ms Connolly, also known as Andrews, at the foot of the stairs of their home the morning after their night of ‘rough sex’.

Emergency services arriving at the Kenrose Mill property found her dead body with just a skirt rolled up around her waist after Broadhurst’s 999 emergency call at about 9.25am.

Investigations later concluded Ms Connolly consumed ‘potentially fatal’ levels of alcohol and was five times the drink-drive limit.

The 26-year-old, who received a ‘good allowance’ from Broadhurst, had also taken two grams of cocaine, amphetamine and poppers, the court heard. She suffered about 40 injuries across her body.

Mr Mason continued: “While the alcohol consumed by Natalie could have killed her on its own, in this particular case, it is pathologist Dr Alexander Kolar’s opinion that the combination of injuries and alcohol has caused her death – in that the injuries have, at the very least, accelerated her death.”

Hawthorns

The jury was told the pair spent the day drinking with friends while watching a West Bromwich Albion game at The Hawthorns before going for a curry on December 17, 2016.

The couple, who both have children from previous relationships, took their main courses back to their home in the defendant’s Range Rover driven by a chauffeur.

They consumed cocaine in the kitchen before the victim indicated she wanted ‘masochistic sex’, which they were both interested in, Mr Mason said.

Broadhurst, who has a metal right leg, told police he later spotted blood on a door and on the bannister following the pair’s sexual encounter so decided to wipe the stains away with bleach.

He also sprayed bleach on Ms Connolly’s face as he ‘didn’t want her to look a mess’ and claimed she hit her head on a door as he tried to lift her from the ground where she was lying.

The 40-year-old then went to sleep, leaving a ‘woozy’ Ms Connolly at the bottom of the stairs after he failed to carry her to bed – allegedly something that had happened previously after ‘heavy nights’.

Mr Mason said: “Whether he left her dead or alive, he certainly left her seriously injured.

“And we say he must have known that, if she wasn’t already dead, there was a substantial risk that, if he left her in that state, she might die and, we say that speaks volumes about his state of mind.”

Jurors heard the family were planning to spend Christmas in Dubai, with Ms Connolly due to fly out with her daughter on December 19 and the defendant following the next day.

The victim had sent Snapchat messages to two ex-boyfriends in the days leading up to her death and had arranged to meet a man she befriended online, who lived in Dubai.

Broadhurst, of Blakeshall Farm, Wolverley, denies murder and an alternative charge of causing grievous bodily harm with intent on December 18, 2016.

The trial continues.

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