Family believe ex-BBC woman did kill herself

THE family of an ex-BBC journalist who was found hanged at a Turkish airport said last night they accepted she had taken her own life.

Jacqueline Sutton, 50, pictured, had been travelling from Heathrow to Irbil, Iraq, on Saturday when she missed her connecting flight at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport. She appeared ‘distressed’ as she could not afford a new ticket and her body was later found in a toilet cubicle, Turkish media reported.

But the family and friends of the British aid worker questioned the ‘odd circumstances’ surrounding her death, with some voicing fears she was murdered. Even police officers called it ‘suspicious’ as they revealed she had more than £1,500 in her bag.

But last night her family said they now believe no one else was involved in her death. They said they had seen CCTV footage and witness statements, and viewed Miss Sutton’s body, which led them to believe ‘there was no sign of struggle’.

They will be seeking an independent investigation ‘to confirm the findings’ once the Turkish inquiry is complete, and said ‘there remains the possibility that additional information will come to light’.

Miss Sutton’s sister Jenny Sutton, who travelled to Istanbul, said: ‘The family is satisfied with the investigation undertaken by the Turkish authorities. We were deeply sceptical about initial reports. But based on the evidence we have seen, at this stage we believe that Jacky acted alone.’

A report by the Council of Forensic Medicine said Miss Sutton’s body was found at 1am on Sunday by a 25- year- old Russian woman.