Love Island presenter Caroline Flack begged for her assault case to be dropped in a handwritten note she left on the day she died, her inquest heard today.
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.
Today, Poplar Coroner’s Court heard new details of a note that was found near her body, which read: ‘Please let this court case be dropped and myself and Lewis find harmony.’
The TV star’s twin, Jody, who is watching the inquest on a video link with her mother, Christine, confirmed the note was written in her sister’s handwriting.
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 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 accused the CPS of pursuing a ‘show trial’ despite being aware of her worsening mental health, while prosecutors say they first recommended a caution but the police insisted on an assault charge.
Caroline Flack was found dead on February 15, the day after she had learned the CPS was charging her with allegedly assaulting her former tennis player and model boyfriend Lewis Burton, 27. They are seen on a night out in London on October 16, 2019
Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector Lauren Bateman was the first witness called to give evidence at the inquest today.
She discussed the decision to charge Flack with assault instead of issuing her with a caution.
DI Bateman said she was the most senior detective on duty in the area on December 12, 2019, when Flack was in custody for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend, Lewis Burton.
She said she was in an open-plan office with the investigating officer and the officer due to take on the case, before they started talking about the case.
‘We discussed whether it was possible for a caution,’ she said. ‘You need the same level of evidence to caution and charge. What differs when you consider a caution is the gravity of the offence, which informed my decision-making.
‘In relation to Caroline Flack’s interview, in my opinion there was no clear admission of guilt, it was unclear what she was admitting to.
‘Obviously Mr Burton believed he was assaulted with a lamp when he was asleep, but that is not the account she had given.’
Flack’s family had become increasingly concerned about her mental health in the weeks before her death. She is pictured at the Royal Festival Hall in London on November 12, 2019
DI Bateman was not present for Flack’s police interview, but said the lack of admission from her meant a caution was not appropriate.
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, the inquest heard.
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.’
The coroner, Mary Hassell, asked DI Bateman whether she felt Flack had in fact made an admission, meaning she could be dealt with by way of a police caution.
DI Bateman said: ‘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.’
The inquest heard 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.
Today, Poplar Coroner’s Court heard new details of a note that was found near Flack’s body at her London flat (pictured on February 16, a day after her death). It read: ‘Please let this court case be dropped and myself and Lewis find harmony’
DI Bateman replied: ‘In my view, it wasn’t a clear admission of what had happened.’
The officer said cautions for domestic violence and domestic abuse cases are ‘very rare’.
She added: ‘That’s from my experience of working with safeguarding for a number of years. That’s what was in the back of my mind.’
DI Bateman said ‘domestic violence’ was an ‘umbrella term’ defining several different offences.
She told the inquest: ‘By no means am I saying Caroline is a domestic abuser.’
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