A man attempted to murder his former partner by trying to throw her down a well on the grounds of his family estate, a court has heard.
Douglas Clifton Brown – an Old Etonian from a distinguished family which includes eight former parliamentarians including a current Tory MP – is said to have attacked Camilla Welby after they left a drinks party at a friends’ house.
He is alleged to have driven them both to the well on the High House Estate, near Congham – which is run by the Clifton Brown family as an exclusive wedding venue – and tried to drag Miss Welby into it.
High House, Congham, near King’s Lynn (Image: Chris Bishop, Newsquest) He only stopped after she fought back and wrapped her scarf around his neck, choking him.
The 56-year-old has denied attempted murder and is on trial at Norwich Crown Court.
Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest)
Clifton Brown – whose grandfather was the wartime high sheriff of Norfolk – comes from an illustrious family which has produced several MPs.
Geoffrey Clifton Brown, the current Conservative representative for North Cotswolds and chairman of the public accounts committee, is a cousin.
The attempted murder trial, which started this week, was told Douglas Clifton Brown and Miss Welby had been in a relationship for about 15 years but were separated at the time of the incident.
They were heading back from drinks at a friends’ house at about 10.30pm on August 12, 2023, when an argument broke out in the car.
Miss Welby thought Clifton Brown was going to take her back to her home in Langham but the journey “went very badly wrong indeed”.
Ed Renvoize, prosecuting, said Clifton Brown became “aggressive” during a verbal argument which escalated into a “vicious assault”.
Clifton Brown delivered “numerous strikes to her face” as he drove her to the High House country estate, which has been in his family for generations.
High House, Congham, near King’s Lynn (Image: Chris Bishop, Newsquest)
The main house was lost in a fire in 1939, but the walled garden and outbuildings are now run as an upmarket wedding venue.
During the journey, Clifton Brown told Miss Welby that having hit her he faced arrest so “had nothing to live for” and that he was going to drive them to the well.
Mr Renvoize said the “deep, disused well” was in the “extensive grounds” of High House and would have a “real significance in this particular case”.
Clifton Brown said he was going to “put her down there before he put himself into the well”.
Mr Renvoize said Clifton Brown had been “angry” as he drove and was “going to carry out the threat he had made”.
After reaching the well Clifton Brown attempted to drag Miss Welby from the car and there was “more violence directed towards Camilla”.
High House, Congham, near King’s Lynn (Image: Chris Bishop, Newsquest)
But Mr Renvoize said the victim was “able to find the strength to fight back against him”.
He said: “She was able to wrap her scarf around his neck. She pulled so tightly, such was her fear, she choked him into near unconsciousness.”
He said her actions “brought him to his senses to the extent his fight was extinguished”.
“That was the end to the violence,” he added.
Miss Welby suffered a suspected fractured nose in the attacks, as well as a broken finger and extensive bruising to her head and face.
Despite her ordeal, she tried to persuade Clifton Brown to go with her to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in King’s Lynn.
She initially got him into the car but he told her he would throw himself out.
She let him get out before driving to hospital where she got help and police were called.
Queen Elizabeth Hospital (Image: Newsquest)
Officers then went to High House, where Clifton Brown, of Grimston Road, Congham, near Lynn, was arrested.
Mr Renvoize, who opened the prosecution case on Tuesday, said Clifton Brown had already admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent to cause serious harm as well as making a threat to kill.
The prosecutor told seven women and five men on the jury, it was the crown’s case that he “intended to end her life and to murder Camilla Welby by putting her into that disused well”.
He said had she been put in the well there would be “no prospect” of her getting out.
The trial continues.