Man Behind Viral Dress Debate Charged With Trying to Murder His Wife
July 14 2023, Published 7:05 p.m. ET
The Scottish man responsible for dividing the internet over the colors of a dress was accused of his wife's attempted murder, RadarOnline.com has learned.
In 2015, Keir Johnston, 38, sparked a global debate online when he posted a photo of his mother-in-law's dress. Viewers were quickly divided into those that firmly believed the dress was blue and black and those who saw only white and gold.
Keir made headlines again, but this time, he was accused of trying to kill his wife, Grace Johnston.
The 38-year-old appeared at Glasgow's High Court on Monday, where he was arraigned on attempted murder charges. Keir allegedly subjected his wife to domestic abuse and coercive control over an 11-year period.
Tensions came to a head last March when Keir allegedly tried to kill Grace by pinning her body to the ground and compressing her neck.
Keir was additionally accused of pulling a knife on Grace after he allegedly assaulted her multiple times at their home. It was said that Grace's husband also attempted to strangle her during the incident.
As if those incidents weren't disturbing enough, additional accusations were made against Keir's physically and emotionally abusive nature between April 2019 and March 2022.
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Allegations of Keir's behavior during that time included shouting at Grace, pushing her against a wall, and grabbing her by the throat. On one occasion, the husband was accused of trying to get into the same car as Grace and striking her through the vehicle's open window.
Another alleged incident happened after Grace refused to leave a pub with her husband. Keir allegedly put his wife in a headlock and forcefully dragged her from the bar.
Additional abusive tactics that Keir was accused of using against his wife included monitoring and scrutinizing her spending habits while controlling which bank accounts she had access to. He was also accused of isolating Grace all to himself by alienating her from friends and family.
Keir's case is expected to have a preliminary hearing before going to trial in 2024.