Man charged with manslaughter after woman took her own life in London
A man's due in court later in what police say is a rare prosecution of alleged domestic abuse linked to suicide
Last updated 19 hours ago
A man is due in court charged with manslaughter after a woman took her own life six years ago in what police say is a rare prosecution of alleged domestic abuse linked to suicide.
Gillian Morand, 36, died in Bexley, south-east London, in March 2020, and an inquest ruled that her death was suicide, the Metropolitan Police said.
Allegations of domestic abuse that Ms Morand had previously suffered then came to light and Scotland Yard launched an investigation.
Seyhan Assaf, 45, of Berwick Crescent, Sidcup, south-east London, has been charged with manslaughter and coercive or controlling behaviour.
It is alleged that Ms Morand was abused over a “significant period” and that it contributed to her death, the force said.
Assaf will appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Saturday.
Detective Chief Inspector Dan Whitten said: “This is a complex investigation with very few charges of this nature authorised across the country.”
He asked for anyone who was in contact with Ms Morand in the decade before her death to contact the force.