My ex burned my mother to death in front of me – she’d still be here if police took me seriously

A woman has revealed how she watched in horror as her ex-husband burned her mother to death in front of her.

Susan Lynch, 52, from Benfleet, Essex, was at her mother Jennifer Cronin’s home in March 2018 when her abusive ex Kieren Lynch, 50, broke into the garden with his arm was on fire.

As Susan made a cup of tea inside, Kieren doused Jennifer’s face, head and back in petrol and set her on fire. He then engulfed the rest of his body in flames.

Kieren died later that evening at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford, Essex, while Jennifer passed away 17 days later. 

Susan Lynch, 52, has shared her story in ITVX’s new series A Murder in The Family

Appearing on ITVX’s new series A Murder in The Family, Susan stressed how she believes her mother would still be alive in police had taken her complaints seriously.

A spokesperson from Essex police confirmed that on the morning of the murder, officers changed the status of the case from ‘high risk’ to ‘medium’ – meaning they did not expect there to be ‘imminent’ physical harm. 

The couple – who shared daughters Matilda and Molly – were married for 24 years before Kieren developed a cocaine addiction. Susan said in the new show that his ‘personality change when he’d had a drink’.

Detailing some of the early abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband, Susan explained: ‘It would start with pushing and poking into your chest but it escalated over time. Gradually, more force would be used – [such as] sitting on my chest or pushing on my throat.

Kieren Lynch pictured on holiday to New York with Susan and daughters Molly and Matilda

Jennifer Cronin died on March 13, 2018 when her former son-in-law set her alight in her garden

‘He would be full of apologies the next day but there would always be a reason why he lost his temper. 

‘I was embarrassed that I didn’t do anything [in response]. I was embarrassed that it happened to me. I never said anything to anybody – I never even told my mum. I just accepted it.’

After initially trying to help her husband, Susan ended the relationship when his volatile behaviour became too much to handle anymore. 

Although Kieren started to get his life back on track in the wake of the split, Susan says he became aggressive again after learning she was seeing someone new.

In January 2018, he sent a string of violent text messages, before going to the family home and smashing up the garden patio with a hammer. 

The couple (pictured} were married for 24 years before Kieren developed a cocaine addiction

Emergency services at the scene in Benfleet following Kieren’s attack on Jennifer

He was arrested for criminal damage but released on bail later that night, with conditions not to contact Susan.

But he continued to call her and her family up to 80 times a day and, the day before the petrol attack, even threatened to kill one of his daughters.

In the new show, Susan shared audio from a phone call she made to police 2am the night before her mother’s murder.

She told police: ‘My ex-husband is constantly calling me all through the night. He’s doing it to my mum, where my daughter is staying.’ 

Terrified Susan called the police six times in just 24 hours, but Kieren was not re-arrested.

Jennifer was frightened by Kieren’s threats and Susan had gone to comfort her mother at her house in South Benfleet, Essex, when Kieren arrived ‘screaming his head off’ with his arm on fire.

Susan, Kieran, Matilda and Molly pictured on a family holiday before the couple’s split

Susan watched in her horror as her mother died from the attack in the garden of her home

Unable to save her mother from the attack, Susan said: ‘She had no eyebrows, no eyelashes. All her hair was burnt off.

‘Her hands were red raw. Her face… everything was sort of black.’

The couple’s daughter Matilda said: ‘I didn’t ever think it would end that way. Not my nan. I just wish something would have clicked in his head [to tell him] he’d gone too far.

‘People knew there was a problem, but none of us thought it was going to go this far – at any point.’ 

Reflecting on what drove Kieran to murder, she continued: ‘I think he did it to hurt me. He knew how close I was to my mum and he knew how much we meant to each other and I think it was the biggest way of hurting me.’

Susan and Molly Lynch pictured  with Kieren’s cousin following the five-day inquest in 2019

Left: Susan and Kieren on their wedding day. Right: Kieren with daughters Matilda and Molly

However, Susan is certain that her mother would still be alive if the police had responded quickly to her concerns. 

She added: ‘It could have been prevented. The police didn’t protect us. We were shouting and screaming and waving it in their faces and the failings were shocking.

‘If they’d done their job properly, my mum would be here.’ 

Susan has previously said that neighbours tried to prevent her watching the scene unfold before the emergency services arrived but she wanted to be there for her mother in her final moments.

She said: ‘I went to my mum, she was totally bald, all her hair had been burnt off. But she was so serene, she told me she loved me. I think she knew she was dying.’

Elsewhere in the programme, a spokesperson for Essex police said: ‘At 7:29 in the morning of the 13th [March 2018], the case was re-risk assessed and it was declared that it was now medium risk rather than high.

Susan says Kieren attacked her mother because he ‘knew how much she meant’ to her

‘Medium risk cases are where there is still potential risk of serious harm but that risk might not be imminent.

‘There had been a break-up and obviously Kieren was taking it extremely badly. It was dealt with as domestic break up and in hindsight, that was the wrong decision. It should have remained high.’

A week-long jury inquest in January 2019 concluded that Jennifer was unlawfully killed while Lynch died by suicide – but poor communication by Essex Police had been a factor. 

In March 2019, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) identified a ‘lack of clarity’ over domestic abuse offences and a lack of ‘positive action’ from officers.

A domestic homicide review also criticised the police for allowing Lynch to slip through the net, saying his behaviour ‘amounted to stalking’.

Detective Superintendent Neil Pudney said: ‘In this case an inquest found that we could have done more to have kept Jennifer Cronin safe.

‘Eight officers have received management action in relation to record keeping and processing of information.

‘Since 2018, we have undertaken a review of our training around response to reports of Domestic Abuse, Stalking, Harassment and Honour-based abuse.

‘Following this tragic incident we worked closely with the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) who identified no misconduct in respect of the actions of the officers involved.

‘I would like to finish by once again offering my condolences to the families of those who sadly lost their lives and I hope that the actions taken offer some comfort. 

A Murder in The Family lands exclusively on ITVX on Thursday 5th Jan. If you have been affected by the issues in this story, Women’s Aid offers a free support line: 01708 765200

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