Mum of Hayley Brown speaks out after tragic death

Aug 9 2009 by Neil McKay, Sunday Sun

A GRIEVING mother believes her daughter may have been hounded to her death by being wrongly branded a "murderer."

Hayley Brown had not got over the death of close friend Robert Ellis, who died after falling down the stairs following a booze binge at her home.

On Friday, July 31 – four months to the day after Robert’s death – Hayley was pronounced dead in Durham’s University Hospital.

Four days earlier she had been plucked from the city’s raging River Wear by three brave rescuers, retired police officer John Davies, 72, and students Michael Perkins, 19, from Bishop Auckland, and Peter Lawley, 21, from Low Fell, Gateshead.

Despite their brave efforts and those of police and paramedics on the river bank, Hayley failed to regain consciousness.

Her funeral took place on Friday at Sherburn parish church, Durham. After her death it emerged that Hayley had been on police bail, along with a man, 35, after being arrested in connection with Robert’s death.

But her mum Anne Hardy, 52, who lived just a few doors away from Hayley in Sherburn Hill, Durham, said: "Hayley loved Robert.

"She loved him as a friend and maybe there was something deeper. I think there probably was, but she hadn’t realised it.

"She wouldn’t have harmed him. He fell over in her house after drinking and didn’t regain consciousness.

"But he had fallen over before and collapsed. Hayley was a lovely girl but people were calling her a murderer. I don’t know whether that drove her to her death or whether she fell into the river by larking about."

Police believe Robert may have been lying on the floor for more than 24 hours before paramedics were called.

A Durham police spokesman confirmed Hayley had been on police bail in connection with Robert’s death, and had been due to answer bail to be re-interviewed last week.

But Anne said: "Robert was a big man and Hayley could not have possibly moved him. She would have expected him to sleep it off.

"She was very upset by his death. She never got over it, and being called a murderer by people who should know better made it even worse for her.

"Before Robert’s death she had always been happy-go- lucky. She loved a party, loved her four-year-old son. She would do anything for anybody and always had a smile on her face.

"She had a passion for jigsaw puzzles and she played chess and loved horse riding. She was going to go back to college to study travel and tourism.

"She had some very good friends who will miss her dreadfully. So will I. She was my rock, a precious daughter."

Page 3 - Grieving mum thanks trio >>