Man behind 'dress that broke internet' accused of trying to kill his wife

14 July 2023 , 22:33

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The 38-year-old now faces allegations claiming that he repeatedly assaulted his wife at their home on the Isle of Colonsay

The husband who went viral after a dress bought for his wedding "broke the internet" has been accused of his wife's attempted murder.

Keir Johnston, 38, gained worldwide fame following his 2015 wedding after the mother of the bride wore a dress that sparked a global debate over its true colours - black and blue or white and gold.

The 38-year-old now faces allegations that he repeatedly assaulted his wife at their home on the Isle of Colonsay.

Johnston attended Glasgow's High Court on Monday and is alleged to have conducted an almost 11-year campaign of serious domestic violence and coercive control which resulted in him attempting to kill his wife.

The iconic dress divided millions across the world - with some seeing white and gold, and others seeing blue and black (Daily Record)

Johnston denies all charges against him

Johnston's charges include, between April 2019 and March 2022, allegedly pushing his wife against a wall, shouting at her and throttling her, before threatening to kill her and brandishing a knife towards her.

Widow brings pillow with late husband's face on it to pub every New Year's Eve

He is also alleged to have attempted to enter a vehicle that his wife was in, striking her through an open window in the vehicle. Johnston also allegedly placed his wife in a headlock and dragged her from a pub after she refused to leave with him.

Further charges claim Johnston isolated his wife from her friends and monitored her movements and her finances, controlling the amount of money that she had access to.

When the couple first hit the headlines the image of the dress was generating up to 11,000 Tweets per minute under the hashtag ''#TheDress'.

Celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift also chipped in.

Johnston attended Glasgow's High Court on Monday

Johnston's behaviour allegedly culminated in a further accusation that on March 6, 2022 he pinned his wife to the ground and sat astride her.

The Crown say that the actions carried out by Johnston were with the intent to murder his wife. The 38-year-old denies all charges against him, with the case continued for a further preliminary hearing ahead of a trial in 2024.

Darren McConachie