Digby BrownThe ex-partner of a former police officer who attempted to murder her and her mother said he subjected her to years of “physical, emotional and practical chaos”.
On Thursday, former police officer William McBurnie was jailed at the High Court in Livingston after he admitted attempting to murder Zoe Turnbull and her mother, Beverly, by driving a vehicle through the front of a funeral director office in Jedburgh.
Judge Lord Mulholland described the accused’s deliberate bid to kill his former partner as a “cowardly and selfish”.
He sentenced the 57-year-old to 11 years in prison and also banned him from approaching or contacting Ms Turnbull or her mother for the rest of his life.
SuppliedZoe welcomed McBurnie’s sentencing and in a statement via law firm Digby Brown, said: “Finally, after two years of physical, emotional and practical chaos, we have justice.
“McBurnie was the Jekyll and Hyde of Jedburgh – charming in public but dangerous behind the scenes.
“I believe the attempt on my life happened because he knew he was losing his grip on me and this extreme act was some warped and cowardly attempt to control things.
“He was just a forceful monster who encroached on our lives and used violence to get his own way.
“That man has shamed himself, the police service and his family – objectively, after what he did, jail really is the only place for him.
“I am grateful to everyone who supported us from the community to the NHS to the police and prosecutors who put him behind bars.
“My mother and I now hope to put this painful chapter behind us so we request our privacy is respected as we move forwards.
“But as a final note I’d just like to say to anyone suffering from domestic abuse – whether man or woman – please do not feel like you are alone, or trapped or have no options and please don’t wait for the worst to happen before acting.
“You have a voice and there are so many people around you ready to listen – and act – so you can get the help you need.”
The judge said of Ms Turnbull: “She was a fit and healthy woman until this incident.
“Your criminal conduct has caused her health to deteriorate significantly.
“Your criminal conduct has had a significant and detrimental effect on both women and you should be ashamed for what you did.
“You were a former police officer and you have a criminal conviction for driving whilst intoxicated. You would have been aware therefore that you should not be driving intoxicated.
“You turned a mode of transport, your vehicle, into a lethal weapon and used it with devastating effect.”
‘He’s coming through the window’: CCTV captures attempted murder
The court heard that McBurnie, a former advanced driver and driving instructor with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, had been drinking whisky since 6am on the day of the attack.
He was nearly three times the drink drive limit when he deliberately accelerated along an adjoining street and drove “at speed” through a give way sign towards the shop in Market Street.
His car mounted the pavement, smashed through two large flower planters and through the plate glass window, sending shards flying everywhere and hitting the office desk so hard it was impaled into a rear wall.
CCTV footage of the incident shows how close McBurnie came to hitting both women as they desperately pressed themselves against the side walls of the office.
Digby BrownAs he climbed out of the wreckage, the two women were seen in the background hugging each other outside the shop.
Advocate depute Alex Price Marmion said McBurnie had been seen stopping his car at the junction opposite the shop on two occasions the previous week.
On the day of the attack he was again seen pausing at the junction before turning to the right and driving off after a customer left the undertakers.
Moments later, after driving round a triangle of roads in Jedburgh town centre, Ms Turnbull spotted McBurnie’s car speeding straight towards the glass-fronted office.
She shouted to her mother, who was standing behind a frosted glass panel of the front window: “He’s coming. He’s coming. He’s coming through the window.”
She pinned herself against the side wall of the office as the accused’s car crashed through, narrowly missing the two of them.
The accused, who suffered a burn injury to his wrist as the car’s airbags went off, immediately said: “Sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
The advocate depute said Ms Turnbull, 46, had suffered a bruised leg and had since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the incident.
She also now had tinnitus, deafness in her right ear and a low tolerance of noise and had experienced two episodes of cardiac arrest from “broken heart syndrome”, caused by extreme stress.
Her mother had experienced atrial fibrillation, breathlessness and fatigue. Both women submitted victim impact statements to the court.
The advocate depute said the accused had been drinking heavily for several months following the break down of his relationship with Ms Turnbull and had been behaving in an increasingly alarming manner towards her.
Crown OfficeHe had bombarded her with unwanted texts, phone calls and emails and repeatedly turned up at her office begging her to restart their relationship.
Gareth Jones, defending, said McBurnie, who worked as a freelance photographer for a Borders newspaper, had expressed “genuine remorse” for his actions.
He added that the accused only had a vague recollection of what was going through his mind about Zoe Turnbull at the time of the offence.
However, he accepted that his actions had been “entirely reckless” and that he had done it with the intention of killing her.
Ms Turnbull said the former police officer “inserted himself into her life” and she became trapped in the relationship, fearing for the safety of herself and her children if she was to leave.
In a previous statement issued through her lawyers Digby Brown, she said: “I never wanted to be in a relationship with him but when I tried to tell him or stand up for myself he would kick off.
“He would grab me and physically and sexually assault me. I was trapped in my own home.
“Behind closed doors he was controlling every aspect of my life through his mental and physical abuse yet in public he would act charming to everyone. It made me feel sick.
“That man aggressively inserted himself into our lives. He exerted a continuous reign of terror on me and my family.
“I’m glad his true self can now be revealed as a result of this conviction – I’m now determined to stay strong and take back control of my life.
“We as a society can’t let evil, manipulative people like this be allowed to inflict their harmful will on others.
“I just want to thank the local community for their support over the last 22 months because knowing you’re no longer alone is key to feeling empowered and being able to move forwards.”
Crown OfficeMoira Orr, who leads on homicide and major crime for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, said: “This was an extremely reckless act which could have had devastating consequences had it not been for the swift actions of William McBurnie’s former partner.
“Our thoughts and best wishes remain with both women as they continue to deal with the lasting trauma caused by this individual.
“McBurnie is a domestic abuser who will now face the consequences of his actions. I hope this conviction reaffirms our commitment to prosecuting crimes of this nature.
“I would encourage all victims or witnesses of similar offending to come forward, report their experiences and seek support.”
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