Keir Johnston and his wife had previously gone on the Ellen DeGeneres show in the US
The man behind the viral “dress that broke the internet” craze has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for violently assaulting and strangling his wife, BBC reported. Keir Johnston, 39, pinned his wife to the ground and choked her before brandishing a knife in March 2022.
Ms Grace desperately sent messages to friends begging for help and eventually dialled 999 yelling down the phone: ”My husband is trying to kill me.” Mr Joshnston was then heard making a threatening statement, saying, “Somebody is going to die,” as per the Times.
The attack came seven years after the couple gained worldwide fame for the dress the mother of the bride wore at their wedding. They went viral in 2015 when the dress his mother-in-law wore at their wedding was a subject of much discussion on the internet for its colour. Some viewers saw black and blue while others thought it was white and gold. However, the dress was black and blue, appearing otherwise due to the quality of the photo.
The couple went on to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where they were handed $10,000 and a trip to Grenada.
However, it was a different story behind closed doors. The High Court in Glasgow had previously heard that Johnston had a history of abusing his wife. Prosecutor Chris Macintosh told the court at a previous hearing: ”There is no permanent police presence on the island, and she was in a situation where she felt trapped.”
Days before the assault, Ms Grace defied her husband’s demands by going to a job interview. The attack happened after Johnston came home from a pub, where he had been drinking. Last month, he pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife to her injury and the danger of life.
Lady Drummond told the High Court in Glasgow that Johnston strangled his wife for around 20 seconds. The judge said: “Initially she was able to scream. She feared for her life and believed you intended to kill her. You were very forceful. The strangling lasted about 20 seconds. She did not lose consciousness but felt very close to doing so.”
Jailing him for four-and-a-half years, Judge Lady Drummond further added, ”In her victim impact statement, she went over the emotional and psychological on her from your behaviour. She suffers in various aspects of her life – emotionally, psychologically and financially. The impact of your actions will last forever. She cannot understand your lack of remorse or empathy towards her. I have taken account of all the information and considered the submission that the court can deal with this with community disposal. I am afraid the only appropriate sentence for a crime such as this is imprisonment.”
He has also been banned from contacting or approaching his wife for 10 years.