Groom Who Made 'The Dress' Go Viral in 2015 Admits He Tried to Strangle His Wife

The man who posted a photo of his wife's dress that subsequently was said to have "broke the internet" nine years ago has pleaded guilty to attacking his wife, PEOPLE confirms.

Keir Johnston, 38, and his wife, Grace, had everybody talking — including stars such as Kim Kardashian and Ellen DeGeneres — after the mother of the bride wore a dress that had the world divided to their wedding in 2015.

Almost a decade after the internet continuously fought over whether the dress in question was black and blue or white and gold, Keir has now been sent to jail after admitting trying to strangle his wife.

Court documents obtained by PEOPLE confirm Keir was indicted after pinning his wife to the ground and sitting astride her during an assault on March 6, 2022.

Documents stated Keir repeatedly placed his hands around Grace's neck, restricting her breathing. He also threatened to kill her and brandished a knife.

During the attack, Keir said, "Somebody is going to die," the High Court in Glasgow, Scotland heard on Thursday, May 9, per United Kingdom outlets including The Times, The Telegraph, and the Guardian.

Grace dialed for help and said, “My husband is trying to kill me," according to the reports.

Chris Macintosh, prosecutor for the crown, told the judge, Lady Drummond, that Grace "felt trapped" as the couple lived on the remote Scottish Isle of Colonsay.

Macintosh said, “There is no permanent police presence on the island, and she was in a situation where she felt trapped.”

Grace went against Keir's demands by attending a job interview on the mainland, before the attack took place days later after her husband had been drinking at a pub quiz, multiple outlets reported.

“Johnston woke up and said that he was going to leave her,” Macintosh told the court, per The Times.

“She went outside the property to stop him leaving. He followed her and pinned her to the ground. He placed both knees on her arms, so she was unable to move. He then began strangling her with both his hands," he added.

“She was able to scream. She feared for her life and believed Johnston intended to kill her. He was very forceful,” Macintosh continued.

After a witness tried to pull Keir away from his wife, he allegedly briefly went inside but came back out and threatened to "finish" his wife off, before choking her, The Times stated.

The outlet reported Mr. Johnston was holding a knife, and was later found hiding under a desk in their home still clutching it. He reportedly put the blade to his throat at one point, before the knife was taken away from him.

The U.K. newspaper reported Grace suffered "visible" bruising and marks to her neck in the assault. 

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 

“I have no need to tell you that this is a serious and violent offense," the judge told Keir, adding: "You repeatedly strangled her, injured her and put her life in danger in what must have been absolutely terrifying circumstances for her."

“I am afraid, Mr Johnston, that your status has now changed, you have been convicted of a very serious crime and you will be remanded meantime.”

Keir and Grace's viral dress fame came after Caitlin McNeill, a guest at the wedding, posted a photo of the garment on Tumblr, which then sparked a debate about its striped pattern.

Amid the controversy, Keir, Grace and McNeill even appeared on The Ellen Degeneres Show, where they were given $10,000 and a trip to Grenada.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.