Lewis Burton seen on day of Caroline Flack suicide inquest

Lewis Burton was seen leaving rumoured girlfriend Lottie Tomlinson’s London property on Wednesday – the same day an inquest took place concerning the suicide of his ex Caroline Flack.

Lewis, 28, exited the East London house in tennis whites and a baseball cap, followed 20 seconds later by Lottie, 22 – who is the younger sister of One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson.

Reports that the pair have grown close in recent months have been swirling of late, as the Flack inquest approached.

Caroline died by suicide, aged 40, at her London home, days before she was due to face trial for assaulting Lewis, who she had been in a relationship with for just over six months.

The TV presenter was arrested in December for assault and charged with attacking the model at her home in Islington.

Lewis dropped his assault complaint against Caroline but prosecutors pursued it and the couple was told not to have any contact.

Lewis looked tense as he exited Lottie’s property, seen heading for his car and climbing inside it.

He added to his casual look with flip-flops and put sunglasses on as he approached his Mercedes. 

Lottie followed, wearing a black crop-top, tie-dye sweatpants and a peach open shirt.

She wore her blonde mane in a top bun and finished the look off with trainers and gold accessories, a pair of shades resting on her forehead. She followed Lewis and got into his car with him.

It is said Lewis had spent the night before with Lottie and her family in Doncaster, to celebrate her 22nd birthday.

A source told MailOnline: ‘They spent Lottie’s birthday together at her grandparent’s house in Doncaster on Tuesday. Lewis met her family and younger sister, who he’s since followed on Instagram. They then travelled back to her place in East London.

‘There was a lot of talk about him joining Lottie in Mykonos with her friends last week, but in the end he decided not to in case it was viewed in poor taste.

‘It’s understood Lewis was to give evidence via video link at the inquest, but on Monday he decided to send a letter.’

Lotttie – who was known to be friends with Caroline through their links with The X Factor – recently posted a slew of sun-kissed swimwear snaps from her holiday to Mykonos, which Lewis liked on Instagram.

This fueled rumours that they had ‘grown close’, after photos exclusively obtained by MailOnline showed Lewis arriving at his flat with Lottie last Friday.

The pair reportedly bonded over the grief of their respective loved ones – with Lottie losing both her mother and sister in recent years and Lewis losing Caroline in February.

Lottie’s sister Félicité, 18, died after an accidental drug overdose, three years after the death of her mother Johannah, who died of cancer.

Lewis also took to Instagram on Saturday to post a lengthy caption alongside an image of him in a smart suit, sharing a quote from Alfred D. Souza that read: ‘For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life.

‘But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, or a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.’

Lewis then penned: ‘This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.

‘So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time…and remember that time waits for no one. 

‘So, stop waiting until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning…

‘Until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until winter, until your song comes on, until you’ve had a drink…. there is no better time than right now to be happy.

‘Happiness is a journey, not a destination. Work like you don’t need money, Love like you’ve never been hurt, And dance like no one’s watching.’  

It’s understood that Lottie became better acquainted with Lewis at a house party in May hosted by Caroline’s close friend Lou Teasdale, 36, which was held to mark three months since her tragic passing.

A source exclusively told MailOnline: ‘Lewis and Lottie have grown close after spending time together at a party at Lou’s house. They have been meeting up in secret for weeks but their newfound friendship hasn’t gone unnoticed by mutual pals. 

‘Not all of Caroline’s friends are happy with how the situation appears to be developing but can understand that both Lottie and Lewis have been there for each other as a shoulder to cry on. Lewis spent last week in Marbella while Lottie was in St Tropez the weekend previous, they couldn’t wait to be reunited with each other on Friday.’

A representative for Lottie Tomlinson declined to comment at the time.

During Wednesday’s inquest, the late Love Island host’s mother blasted the Crown Prosecution Service for pursuing a ‘show trial’ of her daughter. 

Caroline was found hanged at her home in Stoke Newington on February 15 2020, and her mother, Christine, gave a written statement to the court in which she claimed her daughter had been ‘let down’ by the authorities.

‘I believe Caroline was seriously let down by the authorities and in particular the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) for pursuing the case,’ she said.  ‘I believe this was a show trial. I feel the prosecutor was unkind to Caroline and my family. I was threatened with arrest when I tried to speak.’

The inquest went into detail about the star’s poor mental health in the months leading up to her death, including evidence at the crime scene that she had self-harmed. 

Lisa Ramsarran, a deputy chief Crown prosecutor in north London, said the CPS had considered her mental health while deciding whether to authorise a charge against her but decided the risk was ‘low’. 

Flack was later assessed in the psychiatric unit of a hospital, but told medics she was not suffering from mental health issues at the time, Ms Ramsarran said.

She added: ‘Her risk was deemed at that time to be ‘low’. It was confirmed there was no suicidal ideation or thoughts of self-harm. That report was prepared by psychiatric liaison nurses within the hospital where Caroline was taken.’

In other evidence, Ms Ramsarran said the CPS had initially suggested cautioning Flack but that the police pushed for an assault charge. 

‘The initial prosecutor who considered the evidence came to the view, applying the code, that there was sufficient evidence to support a charge (of actual bodily harm), but that because Caroline Flack had made admissions, she determined a caution would be an appropriate disposal,’ she said. 

Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Lauren Bateman said some of her colleagues were opposed to charging Flack, but did not go into details about why.

Ms Ramsarran said cases involving domestic violence allegations, such as the one involving Flack and Mr Burton, have to be treated ‘particularly seriously’.

She said guidance states it would be the exception or rare to offer a caution in domestic abuse cases.

The decision to charge Flack with assault was made by the CPS chief prosecutor Ed Beltrami. 

Going over details of the case, Ms Ramsarran said: ‘There was evidence Burton had a cracked head, and Caroline Flack was beating up.

‘It was also suggested on the call Caroline Flack was trying to kill him, and he asked for police assistance at the address.’

She said there was evidence he was hit with a lamp – earlier in the inquest, Flack’s family disputed this.

Ms Ramsarran said: ‘Mr Burton, at the time, reported to police he had been hit with a lamp.

‘He later relayed to an officer when he was in the bedroom of the property… he indicated to officers that the desk lamp was used.

‘Caroline in her police interview provided information that she used her phone to cause the injury sustained to Mr Burton.

‘I think the overall position, in terms of the prosecution case, is that Mr Burton had been struck with an object to the head.

‘It wasn’t clear if it was the lamp or the phone, but the prosecution case is that he was struck hard enough to his head that he was bleeding profusely, when police arrived, on his head.’ 

Ms Ramsarran said although there was dispute over whether Mr Burton was hit with a phone, a fan or a desk lamp, the prosecution case against Caroline Flack ‘always remained that Mr Burton was hit with an object with sufficient force to cause an injury’.

She told the inquest: ‘The evidence recorded on the (police) body-worn footage did show an injury that was bleeding profusely from Mr Burton.

‘There was no evidence to refute that it was a phone (used by Flack).

‘But what was an issue in the case – clarified by Caroline’s legal team – is that the force used was not unlawful.

‘The issue in the case is not what Mr Burton was hit with, but whether the action of hitting him was an accident, as was the defence case, or whether it was intentional, which was the prosecution case.’ 

Ms Ramsarran told the inquest prosecutors looked at Flack’s mental health when the case was first reviewed by CPS Direct, including evidence that the television personality self-harmed at the crime scene when she allegedly assaulted Mr Burton.

She was later assessed in the psychiatric unit of a hospital, but told medics she was not suffering from mental health issues at the time, Ms Ramsarran said.

She added: ‘Her risk was deemed at that time to be ‘low’.

‘It was confirmed there was no suicidal ideation or thoughts of self-harm.

‘That report was prepared by psychiatric liaison nurses within the hospital where Caroline was taken.’

If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org. 

‘I hope me and Lewis will find harmony’: Caroline Flack’s final message is revealed as inquest into Love Island presenter’s tragic suicide hears how her sister performed CPR  

Caroline Flack wrote a tearful final message hoping that she and her boyfriend would ‘find harmony’, her inquest heard – as her sister told how she performed CPR in a desperate attempt to save her. 

On a coffee table at her home, a paramedic saw a note that read: ‘I hope me and Lewis can one day find harmony’. 

Flack had been due to stand trial for assaulting her boyfriend, former tennis player and model Lewis Burton, in December, after police arriving at the bloodstained scene described it looking like ‘a horror movie’.

The inquest heard how the star’s friends and twin sister tried desperately to break into the house where she killed herself. 

Stephen Teasdale, father of Flack’s hair stylist friend Louise, 36, said he went to the scene after the star’s twin sister Jody phoned to say she could not get in to Flack’s address.

He said: ‘We came to the flat and tried to force entry. We thought about phoning the police but knew the landlady … We got the key and let ourselves into the flat.’

Mr Teasdale said he found Flack’s lifeless body, hanged.

He said: ‘I brought her (down) and Jody started CPR. We were giving CPR for somewhere between five and ten minutes, then the police took over.’ 

It came as Flack’s mother, Christine, claimed her daughter had been ‘let down’ by officials and made the subject of a ‘show trial’. 

‘I believe Caroline was seriously let down by the authorities and in particular the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service) for pursuing the case,’ she said. 

‘I believe this was a show trial. I feel the prosecutor was unkind to Caroline and my family. I was threatened with arrest when I tried to speak.’

Flack’s mother could be seen weeping on video link as her statement was read by Coroner Mary Hassell at Poplar Coroner’s Court in east London. 

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