Skydiving instructor Ashley Kemp has admitted killing his girlfriend Clair Armstrong after a “red mist” came over him during an argument over attempted rape allegations, Grimsby Crown Court has heard.
Clair was found dead in her bed at her home in Messingham, North Lincolnshire, after being strangled when Kemp “snapped”. He admits manslaughter but denies murder. He told police at the time of the incident in November 2022: “To be honest, I just snapped. It’s like red mist came over.”
Ashley Kemp admits killing girlfriend Clair Armstrong
Kemp claimed that Clair became “hysterical” about an allegation he had attempted to rape a teenage girl. Clair was a mother of three and the couple had been together for two years. They were both skydiving instructors at The Drop Zone club in Hibaldstow. Clair also owned a beauty salon.
However, in the weeks before her death, she told pals that the attempted rape allegations had put a strain on their romance.
Richard Thyne KC, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that, during his police interview, Kemp said his relationship with Clair had deteriorated after he was accused of attempting to rape a teenage girl. “He said that Clair often wanted to talk about it but that he did not want to,” said Thyne.
Kemp told police that, at about 10pm on November 5, they were getting ready for bed and she began talking about the sexual allegations again and had become hysterical. He claimed that she told him that she “could not do it any more” and she asked him to leave.
‘Red mist’
Kemp claimed he jumped out of bed to approach her and to talk calmly but she grabbed him and started hitting him so he grabbed her by the arms and headbutted her. He claimed she hit him multiple times and he squeezed her throat as hard as he could until she stopped.
Maybe I held on too long. I don’t know but I didn’t want her to start saying it again.
Kemp said: “To be honest, I just snapped. It’s like red mist came over. I just, when she stopped, I thought that was it, that was her stopped.” He then added: “I didn’t realise it was going to be her end, but I just, maybe I held on too long. I don’t know but I didn’t want her to start saying it again.”
After the incident, the court heard that Kemp “tried to cut himself with a knife and a razor blade but, ultimately, he decided to go out and drive his car into a tree”. On the way, he called 999. He was later found on a grass verge after his vehicle crashed. When he was arrested on suspicion of murder, he is said to have asked: “Who have I murdered?”
The court heard that Kemp telephoned Humberside Police at 12.41am on November 6 and said: “I’ve killed my girlfriend. We got into a fight and I ended up strangling her. She is upstairs on the bed in the main bedroom. We just had an argument, that was all, and it just got heated. She just started thrashing out and I just reacted. I never react. I pinned her down and just choked her.”
Clair’s body found by police
When police arrived Clair was lying on her back on the bed in a partly-opened dressing gown. There was blood on the collar and she had injuries to the bridge of her nose and her forehead.
Thyne told the court: “The prosecution case is that Ashley Kemp murdered Clair Armstrong. Ashley Kemp accepts that he unlawfully killed Clair, by strangling her. However, he says that, when he did so, he did not intend to kill or to cause her really serious harm. He, therefore, says that his actions amount to manslaughter but not murder.”
Rape allegations
The allegations of attempted rape were levelled at Kemp in the summer of 2022. He was arrested and interviewed about the allegations and denied them. As things stand, no decision has been taken as to whether he is to be charged with any offence.
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