Family of murdered girl want streets to be safer
THE family of Lorraine Cox have spoken of their enduring love for the murdered Exeter woman – and of their determination to make the streets a safer place for women to walk.
Lorraine, 32, was killed after returning to the flat of Azam Mangori, a 24-year-old shop worker in the city.
Mangori stood trial over her death and was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of her murder. He must serve a minimum of 20 years.
The family of Lorraine, including brother Mark and father Anthony, were present every day in court to hear the details of her final hours and watched chilling footage which showed Mangori following Lorraine as she made her way alone through the city centre in the early hours of September 1 last year.
It is not known how she died, but it is thought Mangori suffocated her after the pair returned to his flat above Bodrum Kebab Shop in Fore Street.
Lorraine’s family have now issued a statement reflecting on the case and the life so tragically cut short by the actions of one predatory and ‘cowardly’ killer.
They say: “No words will ever bring our beautiful, kind-hearted, generous, loving girl back.
“The overwhelming amount of
‘Lorraine was the most generous, kind-hearted, loving person who was the heartbeat of our family’
love shown by everybody in the city and further afield has, we hope, been felt by Lorraine and she somehow knows how much she is loved.
“Lorraine will always be in our hearts, our thoughts, and forever will be with us.
“Her character was one of living life and she was heading home after a bank holiday out with friends.
“Lorraine was so cruelly taken by a spineless, cowardly individual who had absconded from his asylum address here in the UK, after the UK turned his application down – as three other countries had done previously.
“We have listened and seen this cold-blooded killer smirk and smile at times as he told lie after lie in his fantasy-fuelled evidence to the jury, who, we thank immensely, saw through it.
“We thank them and hope they are given help and support after having heard, step by step, the evidence put in front of them.”
Lorraine had been drinking with friends in the city before making her way back alone. She did not know Mangori and CCTV showed her initially appearing to cross the road to avoid him. The pair struck up a conversation and returned to his flat.
After killing Lorraine, Mangori took over her phone and social media accounts and pretended to family she was still alive. He kept her body in the room for eight days before disposing of it in bins at the back of the kebab shop and in woodland near Newton St Cyres.
The family thanked police, the public and the prosecution legal teams.
They said: “We would also thank Mr Simon Laws QC and Ms Bathsheba Cassel and the rest of the Crown Prosecution Service team in presenting evidence and delivering justice; we are forever grateful.
“To the many officers from Devon and Cornwall Police who went above and beyond in gathering evidence in the most disturbing circumstances. Searching the bins, searching the woods, the dive team and the forensic team, many of them have lived with this too.
“We thank them along with our three Family Liaison Officers, DC May, DC Green and DC Heard, who have been there through every heartbreaking, gut-wrenching moment and came back each day to support our family.
“Along with our family support bubble, who have been by our side every single step, they gave us the strength to carry on. The friends of each member of the whole family, who have supported us, gave us hope and courage to continue.
“Without all of the above, we couldn’t have ever seen a path forward. These are acts of kindness we will never forget.
“Lorraine was the most generous, kind-hearted, loving person who was the heartbeat of our family. Her murder has left the family, friends, and everyone who met her, devastated. Nothing will ever bring our beautiful girl back, however, we do not feel the 20-year sentence handed down at which point parole can be considered is anywhere near long enough.
“Every woman has the right to go about their business in a free and uninhibited way. This did not happen on the morning of September 1, 2020. No family should have to go through what we have suffered.
“We as a family have not been able to bury our head in the sand, nor wake up hoping it’s a bad dream, we have had to face every difficult day head on. Justice for Lorraine has been our focus.
“Lorraine would have wanted to do everything possible to make sure this never happens again, so, with this in mind, we will continue to work in her memory with all the relevant organisations and threads of law enforcement.
“Collectively, with the hopefully willing participation of the many organisations that have had a hand in this individual’s movements and actions, we can face every difficult question, if it will make our streets a safer place and every woman feel safer. This is what Lorraine would have wanted. It’s up to everyone to make sure this happens. RIP beautiful girl. Love always.”