THE MAN who went viral after a dress bought for his wedding “broke the internet” had a history of domestic abuse on his long-suffering wife – who now believes the dress was “cursed”.
Keir Johnston had attended the prestigious £40,000-a-year Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh before he dropped out aged just 16.
The 38-year-old was remanded in custody yesterday by Lady Drummond at the High Court in Glasgow following a guilty plea ahead of his sentencing next month.
The brute appeared to islanders on the Isle of Colonsay as the friendly shopkeeper but behind the scenes, wife Grace was “struggling” and feared for her life on the “island of broken dreams”.
A source on the island who wished to remain anonymous revealed that Johnston and Grace first met when she came to the island with her then-boyfriend to open a business.
Initially, Grace had wished to open a tourist business before falling for Keir who ran the village shop before the pair found international fame after Grace’s mother wore a fateful dress to their wedding.
Nicknamed ‘The Dress That Broke the Internet’, it became a social media storm and sparked global debate over its true colours – black and blue or white and gold.
Appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres show followed where the couple received a honeymoon trip to Grenada and $10,000.
Whilst the pair created the impression that they were truly happy, others on the island – which boasts a population of only around 130 – knew that Grace was enduring a “near ten-year nightmare”.
An anonymous source on the island revealed that Grace already suffered at the hands of Johnston before the two even became man and wife.
They said: “There was violence before the marriage but nothing on the scale of what happened afterwards, they rather got carried away with the whole dress thing, jetting off here and there.
“It was a brief taste of celebrity, Grace now says the dress was cursed, the whole thing has been a nightmare for Grace.
“She came up with her then boyfriend to start a tourist business, took up with Keir and ended up living a near ten-year nightmare.”
The nightmare came to a head on the evening of 6 March 2022 when the abusive Johnston began strangling his wife before heading into their home and returning with a knife.
Chillingly the father of two threatened his wife, saying: “Somebody is going to die.”
Police flew onto the island in helicopters following Grace’s distressed 999 call and arrested Johnston who was later charged and released on bail for over two years to live with his parents in Moffat, Dumfriesshire.
According to the anonymous source, Johnston began a relationship whilst on bail with Fiona Grieve, the estranged wife of an island shepherd.
In a bizarre twist, Fiona’s husband, Dave has now allegedly also become close to Grace since the horrifying events of two years ago.
The source revealed: “Dave left the island not long after the incident and now works on an estate in Glenlyon.
“He has been great for Grace and is really helping her get over the trauma of what happened.”
The source also believes that the pandemic took a toll on the islanders with many filling long days with drink and drugs.
The source said: “Colonsay was Covid-free and whilst the world went into lockdown many of the island’s youngsters went into party mode.
“Endless parties and some serious drug taking by a few people seem fun at the time but there have been very sad consequences for part of the population.
“It has always been hard to live in a place like this full time – the pandemic made it ten times worse.
“It is the island of broken dreams, people come here with the best of intentions to make a great life for themselves, maybe start a business and end up leaving with their tail between their legs.
“For them more than any of the other folks that have come here and left before them this has been the island of broken dreams.”
