SCOTS MUM MURDERED IN PARADISE
Island horror as woman is killed in front of son
A SCOTS mother has been murdered on a paradise island in front of her ten-year-old son.
Police believe Janice Farman was beaten and choked by three hooded men at her home in Albion, Mauritius. Officers discovered her body in her bed at 1am yesterday after her son raised the alarm.
The three suspects made off in the 47-year-old’s car taking jewellery, cash and other household valuables.
Now police have launched an islandwide manhunt for the gang.
According to locals, Mrs Farman’s son Gavin – who is autistic and was adopted by her – raised the alarm by calling a family friend in the wake of the attack.
He is said to have told police he witnessed his mother being beaten by the hooded men before she died.
Yesterday, police recovered Mrs Farman’s stolen Nissan Tiida around ten miles from the murder scene and
began forensic work, deploying sniffer dogs in the investigation.
An autopsy has concluded that Mrs Farman – originally from Clydebank, Dunbartonshire – died as a result of ‘asphyxia due to compression of neck’.
The findings have fuelled fears that the managing director of a data company on the island was attacked in her own bed while her helpless son looked on.
One friend of Mrs Farman wrote on social media: ‘Just imagine… He clearly had no idea what was going on and he was simply in a state of shock.
‘We called the police and it was later confirmed she did not make it.’
Gavin is now being cared for at the Child Development Unit in Mauritius.
At present, it is unclear whether Mrs Farman – who had a previous marriage in Scotland – adopted him alone or whether she and her newly separated husband, Jean-Baptiste Moutou, hold joint responsibility.
However, local media claimed yesterday
‘He was simply in a state of shock’
that he intends to take over as Gavin’s sole carer after returning from Cameroon, where he was when Mrs Farman was killed.
Mr Moutou also revealed that Mrs Farman had shared her plans to return with Gavin to her homeland when they spoke on the phone three days ago.
He said: ‘I talked to her on the phone on Wednesday. She said that everything was fine but that she wanted to leave Mauritius. She wanted to return to Scotland.
‘She asked for my help in initiating the proceedings.
‘‘What’s happened is terrible. Janice is someone who would not hurt a fly.’
Police on the Indian Ocean island have confirmed that her family intend to repatriate her body to the UK after the murder inquiry is closed.
Yesterday, a man at the address which Mrs Farman’s mother Doreen shares with her husband in Erskine, Renfrewshire, declined to discuss the matter.
However, friends took to social media to pay tribute to Mrs Farman and express concern over the future of the boy she once described as ‘my little gift from God’.
Sophie Harris said: ‘I hope someone takes good care of that little boy. He has been through so much already himself.
‘I still remember how excited Janice was during the adoption process, she couldn’t stop smiling.’
Another friend, Natasha Appadoo-Milazar, added: ‘You will always be loved and respected for all the good things that you have done.
‘We will always remember you as a wonderful lady full of energy. RIP Janice and from heaven look after your little Gavin, may God help him in this painful moment.’
Mrs Farman is understood to have moved to the island in 2004, where she became actively involved in environmental campaigning. A colleague who worked with her at PECS Data Services and asked not to be named paid tribute to her yesterday, saying: ‘She is the most kind-hearted lady I have met in my life.
‘She would never hesitate to offer her help as and when needed.
‘As a friend, she would help me every time I would be in distress.
‘She always knew when something was wrong with me, so she would do her utmost possible, so we could go out on lunch or something so we can discuss everything and try to sort things out.’
Her employer also paid an emotional tribute to Mrs Farman.
Group managing director of PECS Stephen Littlechild said: ‘Last night, our MD in Mauritius Janice Farman was brutally murdered in her own home.
‘In view of these tragic events, we have decided to close our Mauritius office today, so we can make sure all our team have access to counsellors and as a mark of respect to a wonderful lady.
‘Our thoughts are with Janice’s family, friends and colleagues.’
A police spokesman in Mauritius said: ‘At about 1am on Friday, police received a report that there had been a case of murder in Albion.
‘Police went to the property and found the woman lying in bed. The suspects drove away in the victim’s car.
‘The car has been found. It will be examined and we hope we will get evidence from the vehicle.’
A Foreign Office spokesman said: ‘We are assisting the family of a British woman following her death in Mauritius, and are in contact with the local authorities.’