Lukhbir Turner, 40 (pictured), was found dead in a bathtub at her home after setting fire to herself
A lonely mother-of-two whose marriage had ended and who was living alone without her children, was found dead after she set herself on fire while in a bathtub.
Lukhbir Turner, 40, texted her estranged husband ‘there was nothing left for her’ before being discovered by police officers at her home in Newtoft, Market Rasen in Lincolnshire.
Her former partner, Christopher Turner, was initially a suspect after red marks were found on her neck, though he was later cleared as he was in Devon at the time.
Police broke down the door to Mrs Turner’s home after neighbours raised the alarm because they had not seen her for three days.
She was feeling isolated in rural Lincolnshire and was living without her children, an inquest revealed.
The inquest in Lincoln heard how her estranged husband was a police suspect following her death.
Officers found the 40-year-old woman with red marks around her neck and, as a result, they initially believed that she may have been strangled and her death made to look like suicide.
Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue concluded the fire was deliberate, however, a box of matches at the side of the bath was unused.
But the mystery was solved when a cigarette lighter was found in the bath.
Mrs Turner was also spotted on CCTV carrying a can of a flammable substance into the house.
The bathroom door was closed which stopped the fire from spreading to the rest of the house.
Estranged husband Mr Turner was eventually cleared because he was hundreds of miles away in Devon at the time.
Mrs Turner was found at her home in Tudor Close, Newtoft, Market Rasen, with an inquest hearing she felt ‘lonely’ and ‘isolated’ in rural Lincolnshire
The court heard that Mrs Turner, originally from Wolverhampton, had taken three overdoses of prescription drugs in the three months prior to her death on September 5 last year.
She had regular contact and support from mental health services and her GP surgery but she was troubled by the breakdown of her marriage and also felt isolated in rural Lincolnshire.
Detective Inspector Dave Harrop, from Lincoln CID, told the inquest about his initial thoughts when he saw the red marks on Mrs Turner’s neck.
He said: ‘I formed the initial hypothesis that she had been strangled and it was made to look like a suicide.
‘I could not believe that someone could set a fire in the bath they were in and then neatly place a box of matches on the side of the bath.
‘But a cigarette lighter found in the bath explained the initial mystery of how the fire was started.
‘Mr Turner was a suspect but we establish he had been in Devon. My conclusion is that she committed suicide. I think she was in a desperate place in order to do what she did.’
The cause of death was found to be inhalation of the products of combustion and the coroner’s conclusion was suicide.
Assistant coroner Marianne Johnson said: ‘Mr Turner had made it clear the relationship was at an end and Mrs Turner was reconciled to it.
‘Maybe, from her point of view, there was no point in carrying on. She was definitely in a low mood.’
The coroner said that on the evidence she had heard she was satisfied Mrs Turner took her own life.
She said: ‘Her GP alluded to the fact that there were three previous suicide attempts. She was effectively provided with continuing support over the telephone from Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Trust.
‘She was not shy about contacting them for help. She was not forgotten by mental health services – they did all they could to help her.
‘Mrs Turner felt very isolated. She was in Lincolnshire on her own without her children.
‘But she did speak positively about her future and acute care nurse William Campbell said she had no intention to take her life.’
Her brother said she was a very popular and successful businesswoman, whose funeral attracted a large crowd.
Amarjit Dhami, 45, told Lincolnshire Live: ‘She was ill over these last few years but prior to that she always had too much confidence.
‘Growing up, I had about five friends and she had hundreds – she was very popular and a lot of her friends went to the funeral.’
She was director of Crucial Trades, a firm in her home village that offer electrician, heating engineer and plumber services.
She had also previously worked at Siemens as a standard services business coordinator from 2014 to 2016, as well as working at DS Smith Packaging, Audi and Nottingham City Council.
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