Festival ‘murder’ mystery
COPS BAFFLED AS IT’S REVEALED NO AMBULANCE HELP CALL WAS MADE
POLICE were last night battling to solve the mystery death of Holby City star John Michie’s daughter after ambulance chiefs revealed no-one called them.
Her 28-year-old boyfriend, held on suspicion of murder and supplying a Class A drug, was “released under investigation”.
POLICE were last night battling to solve the mystery death of Holby City star John Michie’s daughter.
Ambulance chiefs yesterday revealed that no-one called out medics to help Louella at the Bestival event.
The dancer and model – whose actor dad plays neurosurgeon Guy Self in the BBC medical drama – was found dead in a wood on the site on her 25th birthday.
Detectives are trying to determine how she got there, what killed her and why no emergency treatment was apparently sought.
They were granted extra time to question her 28-year-old boyfriend, who was arrested on suspicion of her murder and supplying a Class A drug after Louella’s body was discovered at 1am on Monday.
But last night police said he had been “released under investigation”.
Ex-Coronation Street actor John, 60, described the death of his “angel” as a “tragic mistake – a tragic accident”.
Baffled
He said: “This was not a murder. They were boyfriend and girlfriend.”
But police are baffled by the circumstances surrounding the tragedy and are desperately trying to piece together Louella’s final movements.
They do not know what caused the professional dancer and yoga instructor’s death.
A post-mortem examination was inconclusive but showed no clear signs she had been assaulted.
Police are now awaiting the results of toxicology tests to establish if she had taken any substances during the three-day music festival at Lulworth Castle in Dorset.
They also want to know how she ended up in the Ambient Forest section of the festival which on Sunday had been closed due to high winds.
John, who played Karl Munro in Corrie for two years from 2011, dashed 130 miles from his north London home with wife Carol, 66, an ex-Hot Gossip dancer, after receiving a call and WhatsApp map pinpointing his daughter’s location.
However, a search was still needed to find her body.
Yesterday a spokesman for the South Western Ambulance Service said they had not been called to the incident.
A Bestival spokeswoman declined to comment on whether medical assistance was sought at the site.
She said: “The situation is being dealt with by the Dorset Police.”
A family friend, who yesterday dropped off flowers at the Michies’ home, insisted Louella avoided drugs.
And on her Facebook page the former drama student – whose godfather was One Foot In The Grave actor Richard Wilson – wrote that she was “single”.
Louella, who posted photos on social media showing her at Glastonbury and a string of other festivals and gigs, has friends in the grime music scene.
One pal credited grime artist Skepta in a music video apparently filmed by Louella’s director brother Samuel, 26.
More than 22,000 gathered over the three days at Bestival to watch performances by Pet Shop Boys, The xx, Dizzee Rascal and Rag’n’Bone Man.
Days before the event police had warned festival-goers to bin rogue tablets containing “unknown chemicals”.
But pals insisted Louella, who started working at a London yoga studio five months ago, was a fitness fanatic devoted to a healthy lifestyle.
Last night Victor Meldrew actor Richard, 81, was devastated at the death of his god-daughter.
He said he was “very, very attached to her” and did not “feel able to comment at this present time”.
Det Chief Insp Sarah Derbyshire, of Dorset Police, said: “We continue to work with the festival organisers and our thoughts are with Louella’s family at this extremely difficult time.’’