Caroline Flack begged for assault case to be dropped in handwritten note

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Caroline Flack’s mother today accused a police officer who pushed for an assault charge of being responsible for her daughter’s death during an emotional confrontation at the Love Island presenter’s inquest. 

The 40-year-old was found dead on February 15, the day after hearing the Crown Prosecution Service would go ahead with a trial for allegedly assaulting her model and former tennis player boyfriend Lewis Burton, 27, in December. 

Today her mother, Christine, blasted Detective Inspector Lauren Bateman for appealing against the CPS’s decision to give her daughter a caution after her arrest despite officers finding her at the crime scene with an injury caused by self-harm.

Accusing the officer of treating her more harshly due to her celebrity status, Mrs Flack told the inquest: ‘She (Caroline) cut her arm (to cause serious injury to herself)… and you were putting an appeal in to get her prosecuted, you never bothered to see her.

‘If it had been… an ordinary person, you wouldn’t have prosecuted. I see domestic abuse and I just think you should be disgusted with yourself so there is nothing we can do to bring Caroline back. I hope in hindsight you do regret this. This girl killed herself because you put an appeal through.’

The ‘appeal’ referenced an initial decision by prosecutors to issue Flack with a caution, before DI Bateman, the senior Met officer in charge when the celebrity was taken into custody, applied for a formal charge instead. 

Prior to Mrs Flack’s intervention DI Bateman had denied treating the presenter more harshly because she was famous and insisted she ‘wouldn’t do anything differently’ if confronted with the case again today. She said a caution was not appropriate because Flack did not admit her guilt in a police interview. 

Flack strongly denied assaulting Mr Burton, and had pleaded not guilty to assault by beating at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on December 23. 

Her sister, Jody, said she tried to take her own life before the first court appearance, and then a further two times before she hanged herself at her London flat. 

Flack’s family have repeatedly accused the authorities of pursuing a ‘show trial’ despite being aware of her worsening mental health.

In other new developments revealed at today’s inquest –  

• Police logs from when Flack allegedly assaulted Lewis Burton said she admitted to hitting him with a phone; 
• ‘I did, I whacked him round the head like that’, Flack told officers, before claiming Mr Burton had cheated on her; 
• Inquest heard that she had looked at his phone and saw he was texting another woman;  
• Senior Met officer said she then did not provide a clear admission of guilt in her police interview – which is why they pushed CPS for a charge; 
• However, a CPS prosecutor today insisted police had sought a charge because they believed she was ‘biased’ in Flack’s favour because she was a celebrity;
• Flack’s mother, Christine, blasted police officer for pursuing a charge despite finding her at the crime scene with an injury from self-harming; 
• Police officer insisted she would not do anything differently if confronted with the case again today.  

Detective Inspector Lauren Bateman, the senior officer on duty when Flack was taken into custody on December 12, today denied ever treating the presenter differently because she was a celebrity. 

Flack’s mother, Christine could be seen on videolink shaking her head as DI Bateman said she would still push for a charge rather than a caution if she was confronted with the case again today. 

In response to Mrs Flack’s criticism that she did not go and check the celebrity in custody, the officer replied: ‘To be honest I would never see a detainee in custody. Perhaps in hindsight I could have gone and spoken to her but routinely I would not do.’

Mrs Flack said: ‘Did you feel you needed to get involved in a minor assault? Why did you get involved?’

DI Bateman replied: ‘I became involved because I was asked by the officers to make the appeal. The only officer who can do that is an inspector.’ 

Police attended Flack’s home in December when Mr Burton, said to be bleeding profusely from a cut to his head, phoned emergency services saying she was trying to kill him.

Her inquest heard today that she admitted to police at the scene that she had hit Mr Burton with her phone because she thought he was cheating on her.  

The CPS reviewed its original decision to only caution Flack following the Met’s interference and subsequently pressed ahead with an assault charge.

Prosecutor Alison Wright today said police challenged her decision not to charge Flack because they believed she was influenced by the suspect’s celebrity status.

Ms Wright’s report of the case added: ‘I have been informed that the police are not willing to administer a caution.

‘The police claim I have taken a biased view of the case because Caroline Flack is a celebrity. 

‘She should be and is in my opinion being treated exactly the same as any other suspect.’

However, DI Bateman told today’s inquest the police had actually pushed for a charge rather than a caution because Flack had not provided a clear admission to assault in her police interview.   

She told the hearing: ‘Unfortunately when she was interviewed at the police station it was slightly different. In my opinion it was unclear what Caroline was alluding to.

‘Although she made some admissions at the scene, things were said differently (in interview). In my view it wasn’t clear what she was admitting to.’

Mrs Flack said her daughter was taken from the crime scene, leaving Mr Burton to remain in her home.

She told DI Bateman: ‘You took her (Flack) away, he (Mr Burton) was allowed to take pictures of the blood of Caroline, send them to friends, and they appeared in the press.’

The ‘appeal’ referenced an initial decision by prosecutors to issue Flack with a caution, before DI Bateman applied for a formal charge instead. 

The inquest heard that in her police interview, Flack said she flicked Mr Burton ‘to wake him up’, and that she did not believe she caused his injury.

The coroner suggested DI Bateman was ‘splitting hairs’ in what she considered to be Flack’s admission of guilt.

DI Bateman replied: ‘In my view, it wasn’t a clear admission of what had happened.’

A lack of admission meant the case could not be dealt with through a caution, the inquest was told.

DI Lauren Bateman said a senior lawyer would make the final decision whether or not to agree that a caution was insufficient.

She reiterated that her view was that a caution for this sort of offence was not in line with the guidance. 

The inquest heard prosecutor Kate Weiss reviewed the decision to charge Caroline Flack a week after the assault.

She cited various factors – such as the violence involved, that Lewis Burton was sleeping, that a caution is rare for a domestic violence case, and that police said Flack showed no remorse in interview – when making her decision that a caution was not appropriate.

She said: ‘In light of these factors, I believe a caution is not appropriate.’

She also said Flack demonstrated a ‘lack of remorse’ by breaching her bail condition not to contact Mr Burton when she sent an Instagram message to him saying: ‘I love you.’

Ms Weiss said it was ‘the norm’ for people charged with an offence to become stressed, following concerns from others about Flack’s mental health as the case progressed.

Ms Weiss wrote: ‘The fact her career is affected is unfortunate but this has no bearing on my decision.’

A section from the police incident report read at today’s hearing described how Flack made admissions to officers called to the scene.

It said: ‘He [Mr Burton] made an allegation he had been asleep in bed with Ms Flack, and he had been suddenly woken by her hitting him on the head with some force.

‘Flack made a number of admissions in the presence of police officers, statements such as: ‘I hit him, he was cheating on me’.’

‘At this time it is unclear what object was used to assault Mr Burton. He assumed it was a desk fan or a lamp.’

A letter to Caroline Flack’s GP from the psychiatric department of the hospital where she was treated after the alleged assault was read to court.

It described how the television personality was ‘tearful and anxious’ and that she ‘said she had too much to drink’.

It adds: ‘The reason for the argument was she saw messages on his phone, texting another girl. She said it was an impulsive reaction (to hit him).’

It added: ‘She is worried about how her job is affected because of the incident. She is looking forward to going to work on Monday and has a new job starting in January.’ 

The log said Flack’s phone had been seized, it had a significant amount of blood on it, and a crack on one of the corners.

Flack gave an account to police at the scene, read to the inquest, in which she said: ‘I did, I whacked him round the head like that’, gesturing a swinging motion with her right hand to police.

Flack told police: ‘I admit I did it. I used the phone. I had his phone in one hand, and my phone in the other.

‘I whacked him round the head, there’s no excuse for it, I was upset.’

However, in police interview later, Flack said she flicked Mr Burton ‘to wake him up’, and that she did not believe she caused his injury.  

Yesterday, friends described how Flack had serious concerns about her trial in March, but had met with her lawyers on February 14 when she thought the case might be dropped.

However, it was then that her legal team outlined the CPS’s decision – made the previous day – to go ahead with court action.

Flack took a non-fatal overdose of tablets later that night, telling loved ones she was going to kill herself.

Worried friends attended her flat and called for an ambulance, which Flack refused.

Her friends stayed with the television star overnight and left mid-morning, but were aware Flack was angry with them for calling the emergency services and therefore risking the episode being made public.

Flack was found hanged at home in the mid-afternoon.

The former Love Island host’s family and close friends told the inquest on Wednesday how the 40-year-old feared losing her cherished career, and her mental health worsened after she was arrested.

Flack’s mother Chris Flack wiped away tears on video link on Wednesday when her statement was read, criticising the CPS.

She said: ‘I believe Caroline was seriously let down by the authorities and in particular the CPS for pursuing the case. I believe this was a show trial.

‘Being well-known should not allow special treatment, but it should not allow making an example of someone.’

Dr Jonathan Garabette, a consultant psychiatrist who treated Flack, described how she suffered a deterioration of her mental state in December 2019 and said he had concerns regarding the likely impact of the ongoing court case.

Prosecutor Lisa Ramsarran said the CPS looked at Flack’s mental health when the case was first reviewed, including evidence that the television personality self-harmed at the crime scene when she allegedly assaulted Mr Burton.

However, it was decided to be in the public interest to authorise a charge of assault by beating, particularly considering the domestic violence allegation.

Boyfriend Mr Burton said he did not support the charge, and said Flack ‘was not in a good place emotionally’.

The inquest also heard an allegation from Flack’s mother that a photograph from the scene which had upset Flack when it was published in the press was passed by Mr Burton to a former partner, who subsequently leaked it.

No members of Flack’s friends and family were present for the two-day hearing. Flack’s mother, twin sister, and two close friends joined the hearing via video link, although Mr Burton was absent.

Flack’s death prompted an outpouring of sorrow from celebrity friends, colleagues and fans, who referenced one of the former Strictly winner’s social media posts from December in which she urged people to ‘be kind’.

Her death was the latest connected to Love Island, following the deaths of contestants Mike Thalassitis, 26, in March 2019 and Sophie Gradon, 32, in June 2018.

Ms Gradon’s boyfriend Aaron Armstrong, 25, died three weeks after he found his girlfriend had died.

The inquest continues.  

 To contact the Samaritans, call 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org or visit https://www.samaritans.org/  

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