Norfolk man sentenced to 24 years for attempted murder of former partner
He threatened to throw her down a well
Last updated 2nd Apr 2025
An Old Etonian found guilty of attempted murder will spend 24 years in prison, after threatening to throw his former partner down a well at his family's country estate.
56-year-old Douglas Clifton Brown, of Grimston Road, Congham, was sentenced during an appearance at Norwich Crown Court today.
He'd denied attempted murder, but jurors found him guilty by a unanimous verdict after less than one day of deliberation back in January.
He had previously admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent and making a threat to kill.
What happened?
Brown was said to have argued with Camilla Welby in the car after drinks at a friend's house, then attacked her in August 2023.
The 56-year-old, who was driving, changed routes and instead of heading to her house he drove to High House Estate near Congham, Norfolk.
The estate, now a wedding venue, has been in his family for generations.
Judge Alice Robinson, summing up evidence during the trial, said Ms Welby said she thought "everything was fine until I got into the car" after leaving the friend's house at around 10.30pm.
Ms Welby said Brown had called her a "liar" then got "more and more angry and started hitting me".
"He said I'm driving to Congham to High House," she said, according to the judge's summing up of her evidence.
"He was hitting me all the way there.
"He started saying that since he had hit me he had nothing to live for and it didn't really matter what happened so he was going to take me to the disused well and throw me in it then himself."
She said they fought and he continued to hit her round the face as they arrived near the well.
"He's quite strong," she said.
"I thought 'I've got a scarf round my neck'.
"I took it from my neck and wrapped it round his neck - I managed to pull so he couldn't breathe."
"Horrified of what he had done"
She said he eventually slumped by the car and was "horrified of what he had done" and she drove herself to an accident and emergency department.
The judge said a statement from a porter at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn said they saw that Ms Welby's face was bloodied and swollen and thought she may have been in a car accident.
She had suffered a broken finger, fractured eye socket, and a broken nose.
The prosecution "drew attention to the fact he (Clifton Brown) filled the well that morning", the judge said.
A police officer estimated that the water in the well was 12ft below the top, according to the summing up.
The judge said that the defendant's case was that his behaviour had "all the hallmarks of someone who got drunk, overreacted to something trivial and said something hurtful to a partner that he didn't mean".
She said that Stan Reiz KC, for Clifton Brown, described him as "a flawed individual but not a killer".
Speaking after Brown was found guilty of attempted murder, Det con Gary Ranger, from Norfolk Police, said: “This was a sustained and terrifying attack during which the victim fought for her life.
"Had she not been able to subdue him using her scarf she is certain she would not be here today.
“Clifton Brown tried to blame her for the assault and tried to vacate his guilty plea to the GBH and the threats to kill.
"He used extreme violence against his victim and is now rightly behind bars for it.
“We are committed to protecting women and girls and would encourage anyone who is a victim to come forward and please report it.”