Man who went viral after he bought dress that ‘changes colour & broke internet’ is charged with wife’s attempted murder
A MAN who went viral and "broke the internet" after a dress he bought appeared to change colour has been charged with his wife's attempted murder.
Keir Johnston, 38, appeared at the High Court in Glasgow on Monday - and is alleged to have conducted a decade-long campaign of serious domestic violence and coercive control.
He is charged with repeatedly assaulted his wife at their home on the Isle of Colonsay - before allegedly brandishing a knife and attempting to strangle her.
The couple, who are both from the island, gained worldwide fame following their 2015 wedding.
A dress worn by the mother of the bride sparked a global debate over its true colours - black and blue or white and gold.
Nicknamed "The Dress That Broke the Internet", it started a social media storm when wedding guest Caitlin McNeill first shared it on Tumblr.
The couple went on to appear on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where they were handed $10,000 and a trip to Grenada after revealing the dress was indeed black and blue.
Johnston's charges include, between April 2019 and March 2022, pushing his wife against a wall, shouting at her and throttling her, before threatening to kill her and brandishing a knife towards her.
He is also alleged to have attempted to enter a vehicle that his wife was in, striking her through an open window.
Johnston also allegedly placed his wife in a headlock and dragged her from a pub after she refused to leave with him.
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Further charges claim Johnston isolated his wife from her friends and monitored her movements and her finances.
Prosecutors allege the couple's relationship devolved into a series of violent attacks by Johnston that led to an alleged attempted murder.
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.
He then allegedly repeatedly place his hands around her neck and restricted her breathing while making threats of violence.
He is then claimed to have threatened to kill her and brandished a knife at her, all to her injury and to the danger of her life.
The Crown alleges Johnston has intent to murder his wife.
However, Johnston denies all charges against him.
The case continues with a further preliminary hearing ahead of a trial in 2024.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service - available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.