A grieving daughter has spoken of her heartbreak after her beloved mother was discovered dead in a restaurant toilet, three days after she went inside.
Sabrina Marlynn Lyttle, 47, was found dead at The Gurkha Buffet Restaurant, Hotel and Bar in Blackpool, Lancashire on November 30. Heartbreaking CCTV footage shows her walking into the eatery on November 28, before entering the disabled toilet, never to be seen alive again. The mum had her whole life ahead of her, having been released from prison just one day before entering the restaurant.
For three days, restaurant staff had no idea that Sabrina was hidden inside. Her death is not being treated as suspicious but her family are desperate for answers.
And now Sabrina’s devastated daughter, Jade Casey, has spoken of her anguish upon learning that her mother’s body went tragically unnoticed while diners were eating and drinking just a few feet away.
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Sabrina’s ‘heartbroken’ daughter, Jade, has spoken of her anguish
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Jade Casey / SWNS)
Sabrina’s mum Christine, 68, has said that customers reported being unable to access one of the cubicles in the days before the devastating discovery. “Heartbroken” Jade, 27, shared: “The police have told us that customers were complaining that they couldn’t get into the toilet, but they assumed something had happened with the lock. They then opened up the disabled toilet and found her on the Saturday morning.
“I’m angry because she could have been found sooner, they should have done the usual toilet checks. It’s heartbreaking because we know she was left in the cold on her own. I know she was dead, but it’s the fact she was there while people were eating and drinking.
“We don’t know the cause of death yet, but there’s part of us that thought she might have been struggling and needed help and then could have been saved.”
A cause of death has not yet been given
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Jade Casey / SWNS)
It’s unclear why Sabrina decided to go into the restaurant,
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Jade Casey / SWNS)
According to Jade, of Fleetwood, Lancashire: “There wasn’t any drugs at the scene and CCTV footage showed her entering the building on the Thursday. We think she broke into the disabled toilet – we think she picked the lock to get in so she didn’t have to ask for a key.
“We aren’t sure of the circumstances of why she went in, it could have been to get warm because she had been released from prison the day before.”
Paying tribute to her “funny and kind” mum, Jade continued: “She suffered with addiction and she was in and out of homeless for the last 25 years but she was a really nice person. She was funny and she was kind.”
Sabrina had sadly struggled with addiction issues
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Jade Casey / SWNS)
She is remembered by loved ones as a ‘really nice person’
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Jade Casey / SWNS)
Police have since confirmed that there were no drugs at the scene. A Lancashire Police spokesperson gave the following statement: “We were called at shortly after 1pm on Saturday, November 30th to a report of a sudden death at an address on Waterloo Road in Blackpool.
“Officers attended, and sadly, the body of a woman in her 40s was found dead inside the address. Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this time. The death is not being treated as suspicious, and a file will be prepared for HM Coroner.”
Following reports of Sabrina’s death, The Gurkha Buffet Restaurant, Hotel and Bar said in a statement: “On Thursday 28th November 2024 at 8.34pm, a non-customer member of the public entered the premises and asked to use the toilets.
“As the restaurant had already closed for the evening, directions to the pub toilets, which are in a separate area of the building, were given. Staff in the pub provided further directions to the general pub toilets and did not issue access to the disabled toilet.
“Access to the separate and locked disabled toilet is gained via staff as the facility cannot be opened with a RADAR key. The male and female toilets are deep-cleaned every morning and checked throughout the day, with the disabled toilet checked after every authorised use and cleaned as required, due to infrequent use.
“Access to the disabled toilet was not requested until Friday evening around 10pm. The staff with the assistance of other helpful pub customers were unable to unlock the door and as access had not been granted for the past 24 hours, it was reported as a maintenance issue to management.
“The following day on Saturday before opening, management was unable to gain access using all secure keys and removing the locking mechanism before alerting the police. We are aware of public posts that are full of information that is not correct, and we believe the speculations have not contributed positively to anyone affected, including the grieving family, the dedicated Gurkha staff and the community of Blackpool. We are aware of an ongoing inquest and will not be making any further public comments.”
An inquest into Sabrina’s death is scheduled to be held at Blackpool Town Hall on Thursday, April 3, at .10am.
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