A jury has heard that Gemma Martin, the estranged wife of Sandbanks property developer Paul Pressland, had written a divorce "wish list" shortly before he allegedly strangled her at their £3million home. Pressland, 63, denies intentional strangulation and claims he acted in self-defence during a row that broke out after the couple's guests had left following a Sunday roast on 1 December 2024. The case, being heard at Salisbury Crown Court, matters because it centres on conflicting accounts of a violent domestic incident set against the backdrop of an acrimonious separation and dispute over assets.

Prosecutors allege Pressland confronted Ms Martin, 52, after learning from a friend that she had filed for divorce, sparking a heated argument in which she threw her Ugg slippers at him amid claims of infidelity. He is said to have pinned her against an en suite door and strangled her until her eyes "bulged". The defence produced a handwritten list bearing Ms Martin's initials detailing demands including a £1million house, a £60,000 annual income, a £35,000 Range Rover and vehicles for her sons, which she said had been drawn up amicably between the couple rather than as a one-sided demand. The court also heard details of Pressland's background as a chartered surveyor turned property businessman, and that around five bottles of wine had been drunk between six people over the course of the evening before the alleged attack.