Man charged with driving woman to suicide through campaign of domestic abuse | News UK

A man has been charged with manslaughter over the death of a woman who killed herself after allegedly being subjected to a campaign of domestic abuse.

Gillian Morand was aged just 36 when she ended her own life in March 2020.

A subsequent inquest ruled her death a suicide, but the Met Police has now charged Seyhan Assaf, 45, with manslaughter and coercive or controlling behaviour.

Scotland Yard said the decision was made after ‘information came to light around allegations of domestic abuse that Gillian had previously suffered’.

A spokesperson said: ‘It is alleged Gillian was abused over a significant period of time, and it is further alleged that this abuse contributed to her death.’

Detective Chief Inspector Dan Whitten, from the Metropolitan Police Service, added: ‘This is a complex investigation with very few charges of this nature authorised across the country.

‘We are supporting Gillian’s family, who ask for their privacy to be respected at this difficult time.

‘I ask that anyone who was in contact with Gillian in the decade prior to her death contact us. Any information, irrespective of how insignificant it may seem, may be of considerable value.’

There are currently only two other men in the country facing manslaughter charges over the deaths of women who killed themselves because of alleged domestic abuse.

Samantha Yelland, Senior Crown Prosecutor in CPS London Homicide Unit, said: ‘We have decided to prosecute Seyhan Assaf with manslaughter and controlling or coercive behaviour.

‘This decision comes after working closely with the Metropolitan Police as they have carried out their investigation into the death of Gillian Morand.

‘Our prosecutors worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring these charges to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.’

Assaf, of Sidcup, southeast London, will appear at Bromley Magistrates’ Court on Saturday, March 7.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

MORE: Troll who emailed Keir Starmer calling him a ‘gutless dirty b*****d’ spared jail

MORE: Hamilton legend announces shock return to the musical on West End

MORE: Man who never killed anyone set to be executed in Alabama