Son of murdered woman kills himself in Spain ahead of retrial over her death
Double jeopardy murder accused Sean Flynn has taken his own life after going on the run from Germany to Spain to avoid facing a retrial over the death of his mother Louise Tiffney 19 years ago.
Flynn, 38, was due to appear at the High Court in Livingston to face a retrial under Scotland’s relatively new double jeopardy laws accused of murdering Ms Tiffney in 2002, but failed to appear and a warrant for his arrest was issued on Tuesday.
It is understood the fresh case against Flynn relied heavily on DNA samples and soil analysis, which linked his Nissan Almera car and the site where Ms Tiffney’s remains were discovered just yards from the A198 in East Lothian.
Experts whose evidence helped to bring World’s End serial killer Angus Sinclair to justice after 37 years after he and his brother-in-law raped and murdered teenagers Christine Eadie and Helen Scott, both 17, in 1977, were consulted by officers re-investigating Flynn.
After news of Flynn’s death emerged, his solicitor Aamer Anwar said he was advised yesterday that “he was, according to the police, found dead in Spain, after taking his own life”.
Mr Anwar added: “Until recently Mr Flynn had resided in Berlin. Any loss of life is a tragedy. Sean Flynn’s next of kin has been informed and there will be no further comment.”
Window dresser Ms Tiffney, 43, disappeared after leaving her home in Dean Path, Edinburgh, in May 2002.
Her remains were found by a cyclist near Gosford House, in Longniddry, in April 2017.
Flynn had been due to stand trial accused of murdering his mother and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by putting her body in the boot of a car, driving to a wood and disposing of it.
At a previous hearing in January, the QC representing him said Flynn denied the charges.
In 2005, Flynn walked free from the High Court in Perth after a jury returned a not proven verdict.
Neighbours had told a jury that on the night she was last seen, they had heard a row in Ms Tiffney’s house followed by a scream then silence.
CCTV footage showed Flynn's car leaving Edinburgh in the direction of East Lothian
and returning just over an hour later and forensics examiners found her blood in the boot.
He admitted that he had argued with his mother but denied killing her and said he had never left the house on the night she disappeared.
After the verdict was delivered, Ms Tiffney's sister June said: “There is no justice for Louise.”
Following the discovery of Ms Tiffney’s remains, the-then Lord Advocate, James Wolffe QC, was granted permission by the High Court to set aside the acquittal verdict and reindict Flynn for murder.
Flynn, who moved to Germany after his acquittal, was re-indicted and entered a not guilty plea through his QC, Brian Mcconnachie, at the High Court in Glasgow in January. His retrial was pencilled in for three weeks.