A RICH thug who tried to murder his ex-partner by throwing her down a well on his family’s sprawling estate has been jailed.
Douglas Clifton Brown, 56, filled the 240ft disused shaft at High House Estate near Congham in Norfolk.
As he dragged Camilla Welby towards the hole, she managed to fight him off by throttling him with a scarf until he almost passed out.
Clifton Brown, whose family line includes eight ex-Parliamentarians, has now been jailed for life with a minimum of 24 years.
He was convicted of attempted murder after previously pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and a threat to kill.
The court was told Clifton Brown and Camilla had been in a relationship for 15 years but had separated by the time of the horror.
On August 12, 2023, the pair had been out for drinks with friends – with Clifton Brown downing half a bottle of rum.
He was driving them both to the home they still shared when a row broke out after the wannabe killer lost their dog earlier in the day.
Clifton Brown then became “aggressive” during the journey, with the argument escalating into a “vicious assault”.
The former Etonian hit Camilla up to 15 times before he drove them both to the well at his family’s country estate.
In Camilla’s words, he told her he had “nothing to live for” and that 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”.
Clifton Brown then tried to drag his ex towards the disused shaft but she bravely fought back and managed to escape.
She drove herself to hospital after Clifton Brown slumped by the car “horrified of what he had done”.
The court heard that Camilla’s face was so bloodied and swollen that a hospital porter believed she had been in a car accident.
After his arrest, Clifton Brown told police the claims were “absolute baloney”, adding: “She’s gone bonkers and is making it up.”
Detective Constable Gary Ranger said: “This has been an extremely traumatic time for the victim and I hope today’s conviction will help her as she continues to process what happened to her.
“This was a sustained and terrifying attack during which the victim fought for her life. Had she not been able to subdue him with the scarf, she is certain she would not be here today.”
