Tragedy as Ayrshire mum takes her own life

Jan 23 2009 by Lisa Boyle

A YOUNG mum killed herself after her husband was banned from the family home over Christmas.

Depressed Lorraine Turner, 31, wrote a desperate letter begging the procurator fiscal to let her husband come home – but it seems that her plea fell on deaf ears.

Loving dad William Turner, 39, was banned from his home and forbidden to contact Lorraine after an argument was blown out of proportion. He was charged with a breach of the peace after the couple had a row on December 14.

William was bailed and told to stay at his mother’s house until the case was dealt with.

Days later, Lorraine, who suffered from post natal depression, wrote to the procurator fiscal saying she was struggling to cope without William.

At that stage, the fiscal’s office should have made arrangements for a bail hearing.

But neither Lorraine nor the family’s lawyer ever received a response.

Meanwhile, she struggled through the festive period with three children aged 15, four and just six-weeks.

Tragically, Lorraine took an overdose and died on January 2.

Despite Lorraine’s death – and William’s unimaginable grief – prosecutors decided to go ahead with the trial on Tuesday.

Heartbroken William was forced to sit in the dock and re-live the circumstances of the last fateful evening he spent with his wife.

In a cruel twist of irony, the case was thrown out of court when a Sheriff ruled there was insufficient evidence to prosecute William – meaning the festive ban was completely pointless.

Ayr Sheriff Court heard this week that Lorraine told police that they should never have been called and that it was a “silly” argument.

Defence lawyer Peter Lockhart suggested to Sheriff Colin Miller that “an argument between man and wife certainly does not constitute a breach of the peace.”

Sheriff Miller agreed with Mr Lockhart and William was allowed to go home to his children and grieve in peace.

Lorraine’s tragic letter pleading to be reunited with her husband was produced in court.

And William has agreed for it to be released to the Ayrshire Post.

It says: “I am presently suffering from post natal depression after giving birth to our daughter six weeks ago and that explains why I lost it and started on my husband.

“We have another two kids and I am really struggling to cope without my husband, who is a great help.

“As you can imagine I’m not getting much sleep and just can’t face going out the house.

“It would help me tremendously if my husband was home. These are meant to be happy times but how am I going to explain to a four-year-old that his dad won’t be home for Christmas.

“I hope you could consider removing the bail conditions as it would be a great weight off my shoulders and would give me and the kids a Christmas to look forward to, because at the moment I’m just feeling empty and very down.”

After the trial, William was too upset to comment further.