A HEARTBROKEN daughter was finally given access to her murdered mother’s home – only to find it infested with rodents.
Carol Taggart was murdered by her son, Ross, in 2014 but the law still allowed him to become executor of the estate from his prison cell.
Carol’s daughter, Lorraine Taggart Bristow, finally negotiated access after four years and was horrified to find the home covered in mice droppings, smelling of urine, and that possessions had been chewed by rodents.
Despite waiting so long, Lorraine was only allowed to be there for an hour and had to spend the time in her mother’s bedroom.
Taggart murdered his 54-year-old mother days before Christmas at the house they shared in Dunfermline, Fife, following an argument. He used so much force he broke a bone in his mother’s neck.
Speaking to her local newspaper, Lorraine said: “I was under no illusion that the house would be a mess. It was, after all, a crime scene of a murder investigation and the police had a job to do.
“All I had wanted to do was sit on her bed and think of nice times.
“I could not even do that as it is all chewed and has mouse poo all over it.
“There are two Pepsi Max bottles next her bed, dead plants everywhere, her toilet is black, [the house] smells like mouse pee – they even started on the evidence bags.”
She added: “I was looking through bags with mice running out of them.
“I also had to look at where the carpet was cut for evidence where he battered her and knocked her unconscious before he moved her to kill her.”
Lorraine has now made fresh calls for a law change after being refused access to the house for four years.
She added: “The executor is supposed to ensure that a property is maintained. There are food items on her bed from Christmas 2014, these have all been chewed and are now mouldy.
“The law is meant to be on the side of the victims and not to allow the murderer to keep going and making the Scottish justice system look a joke.”
Lorraine now plans to get in touch with MP’s and MSP’s to try and make a change, following a petition being signed by 13,000 people.
She said: “I can’t go on with sentimental items being eaten and the house rotting from inside out. This is not right.”
The law allows Ross, to control his dead mother’s £500,000 estate from his prison cell, where he is serving 18 years for murder.
Earlier this year, Carol was sent a £15,000 bill for fees to be paid to caravan site, just metres from where her body was found.
The family were also disgusted to hear that Taggart had agreed to give the park his mother’s caravan to cover the cost.
