City Insurance Executive Throttled Girlfriend On Doorstep

Doorway Struggle: Burnell

The “absolutely petrified” partner of a Lloyd’s insurance executive was lifted onto her tiptoes when he grabbed her throat during a violent row in the doorway of his £1.6m apartment, a court heard today.

Head of Marine & Energy Liability Howard James Burnell, 62, inflicted bruising to the throat and thigh of girlfriend Mary Phillips when they rowed after a dinner-date.

Her leg was slammed in the doorway of his flat in Little Green, Richmond on March 14 and pictures of the injuries were shown during the trial at Wimbledon Magistrates Court.

Burnell, a company officer with Bishopsgate-based insurance giants Apollo, was convicted of assaulting Ms Phillips and was bailed until sentencing on January 28, next year.

She told the trial the pair enjoyed a restaurant meal earlier that evening. “We shared one bottle of wine, but Mr. Burnell likes his alcohol so it could have been two.”

While travelling home the couple rowed, with Burnell telling his partner of seven years: “You have crossed the line”.

He stormed off ahead, shutting Ms Phillips out of their shared home, which he owns. “He positioned himself in the doorway,” she told the court from behind a screen.

“He said: ‘You insulted my parents,’ and was very aggressive, more than usual.

“He was red, his eyes were evil-looking. The hatred.

“I tried to push him and thought if I could get in I could defuse the situation, but he was quite adamant that I was not coming in.

“His hand came up and grabbed my throat and I was lifted up on to my tiptoes and was in sheer fear.

“I thought he was going to headbutt me. I was absolutely petrified.

“He also used the door to bar my way and that bruised all of my leg and the bruise was under my jaw for a week and my neck was painful.”

"Absolutely Petrified": Mary Phillips

Burnell denied throttling his ex-partner, suggesting she may have sustained injuries as she tried to barge her way into the flat against his wishes.

“I said I did not want her to come in and she tried to force her way in,” he told the court. “She was putting her leg in and trying to push me back, it was a bit off a stand-off.

“I held her back when she was pushing herself in. I assume the bruising to her leg was caused by the door.

“She was trying to knock my arm and as she was pushing she pushed against my hand, which rode up to her jaw, I think.”

Eventually Burnell allowed Mary in on condition she took a cab to her daughter’s home in Elephant and Castle.

District Judge Andrew Sweet announced: “She lived there for six to seven years. It was her home too.

“She said she was lifted up by her throat and her leg was bruised by the door being pushed against it.

“She found herself in a situation where she was being prevented from accessing where she lived and I accept she was assaulted by Mr. Burnell by grabbing her throat and pushing the door.”

Bailing Burnell for an “all options” pre-sentence report the judge added: “To try to exclude her from somewhere she lived for six to seven years is something I am entitled to take into account.

“I need a report so I can decide how to sentence.”