Caroline Flack was 'terrified' that bodycam video of her in state of undress and distress would be shown at trial
Many wellwishers and legal experts held the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) responsible for the tragic suicide of former 'Love Island' host Caroline Flack.
Flack, 40, who was found dead in her new east London apartment on February 15 was set to go on trial for the assault of her ex-boyfriend, Lewis Burton, whom she allegedly attacked with a lamp on December 12 in Islington, North London. The trial was set for March 4.
Burton was hit over the head with a lamp as he was sleeping after she found texts on his phone which had enraged her. Although Burton was the one who alerted the police, telling them on the day of the incident, "She’s trying to kill me, mate," he later stood by his former partner throughout the court case, despite being banned from contacting her.
Now, legal experts think that she was suffering from mental health issues that were aggravated after she found out before Valentine’s Day that CPS planned to pursue a trial against her despite her legal team filing an appeal. Also, Burton had pleaded with authorities for her charges to be dropped amid her vulnerable mental state and the lack of public interest.
Even during her fight with her boyfriend, the former 'Love Island' host displayed signs of mental instability as she resorted to self-harm. In fact, her self-inflicted wounds were so deep that he was taken to hospital and underwent urgent treatment for 12 hours before she was deemed fit enough to be interviewed by officers.
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“Caroline should never have been prosecuted. She should have been given urgent mental health treatment and psychiatric care. When the police arrived, both she and Lewis were intoxicated. Lewis had called the police because he was very scared for Caroline. She was clearly emotionally distressed when the police arrived and she was covered in her own blood," one legal expert told the Sun.
Police bodycam footage had captured Caroline in the moments after the incident, which showed her being in a state of undress and severely distressed. The fact that there was a possibility that the bodycam footage would have been shown in the court during her trial might have played a role in Flack choosing to take her own life.
“Caroline was terrified the footage of her distressed and covered in blood would be shown to the world in court," a source said.
Apparently, CPS had initially decided not to charge her. However, after senior police officers pressed for charges to be brought against her, the CPS used guidelines designed to protect long-term sufferers of domestic abuse, decided to charge her.
“The CPS were relying on legislation that protects people suffering long-term domestic abuse. Those laws are there to help the authorities prosecute without having the victim onside or needed to give evidence," the legal source said. “Laws are designed to help victims who are too afraid to take on their abusers and too terrified to speak in court. But this was a completely different kind of case."
The source added: “Lewis wasn’t a frightened victim. He wanted to defend Caroline. He said the CPS version of what happened that night was wrong. This was a one-off incident where a minor injury was caused under disputed facts."
The expert's opinion was backed by Charlotte Proudman, a human rights barrister. “This smacks of a show trial," she said. "It feels like it was nothing more than an attempt by the CPS to show how rigorously it pursues domestic abuse cases, especially one involving a male complainant.”
While the CPS had extended “deepest sympathies” to Flack's family and friends, in the wake of her death, they have also added, “given the tragic circumstances, we will not comment on the specifics of this case at this stage.”