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Susan McDonald

Age: 47

Sex: female

Date: 1 Dec 2002

Place: 55 Cookes Drive, Broughton Astley, Leicester

Susan McDonald died in a fire at her home at 55 Cookes Drive, Broughton Astley in Leicester, which was caused by a wheelie bin that had been set on fire outside her door on 1 December 2002.

She died from smoke inhalation and was found dead on her bedroom floor.

Her fiance was with her at the time but he escaped by jumping out of the window, breaking his ankle in the process. They were due to get married a few weeks later.

She had been suffering from cancer at the time and had had four children and her family lost all their possessions in the fire as their house was not insured.

The emergency services were called at 12.50am.

The wheelie bin had been outside her front door. The fire spread from the bin through the door into the hall and stairs, trapping Susan McDonald and her fiance upstairs. The cause of the fire was said to have been malicious.

In the weeks before her death she had received hate mail, text messages and phone calls. One of the text messages read, 'If the cancer doesn't kill you, I will'. Another said that her fiance was having an affair. Susan McDonald had even changed her telephone number because of the number of calls that she was getting.

Her fiance said that they were asleep at the time and Susan McDonald woke him up and told him that the front door was on fire. He said that he then looked out of the window and saw a person running away. He said that by then the smoke and fumes were already coming into the house and he went into a back bedroom thinking that Susan McDonald was following him and used some curtains to climb down. He said that he then tried to get back into the house through the front door but was unable.

At the inquest, a verdict of unlawful killing was returned with Susan McDonald's death having been caused by inhalation of smoke and fumes.

Five teenagers were arrested in connection with her murder but none were charged.


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