The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
TV host Caroline died by suicide, coroner rules
Inquest: Presenter feared prosecution for assault
TV presenter Caroline Flack hanged herself at home after discovering she was going to be prosecuted for assaulting her boyfriend, and feared press intrusion, a coroner has ruled.
Coroner Mary Hassell said the fact the alleged assault case was “played out in the national press” was “incredibly difficult for Flack”, and she feared the loss of her hard-fought career.
The 40-year-old former Love Island and X Factor host was found hanged at her home in north-east London, on February 15.
The previous day, she had discovered prosecutors were going to press ahead with the assault charge after she hit Lewis Burton with her phone while he slept over concerns he had been cheating on her. Friends said she was expecting it to be dropped.
Returning a determination of suicide at Poplar Coroner’s Court, the coroner said: “Although her fluctuating (mental) state was a background and important in her death, I find the reason for her taking her life was she now knew she was being prosecuted for certainty, and she knew she would face the media, press, publicity.”
Weeping, Flack’s mother Chris Flack told the coroner via videolink: “I think you got it spot on.”
Mrs Flack had accused the police and prosecutors of having it “in for” her daughter, accusing them of taking her to court due to her “celebrity status”.
Mrs Flack said her daughter killed herself as a consequence of Detective Inspector Lauren Bateman’s personal decision to appeal against the plan to give Flack a caution for assault. Mrs Flack told deputy chief Crown prosecutor Lisa Ramsarran: “After listening to you and the first lady (Ms Bateman), I feel even more that you had it in for Caroline.”
Ms Ramsarran said the code for prosecutors was correctly applied, while the police and the Crown Prosecution Service said they would not do anything differently.
Ms Bateman denied the coroner’s suggestion that she was motivated by Flack’s celebrity status to charge her.