Woman accused of murdering mum is released

A woman who was accused of murdering her mother has been released from custody after prosecutors decided to no longer pursue the case.

Emma Nightingale was arrested after Lorna Nightingale, 70, was declared dead at a property on Blackhorse Road, in Walthamstow, east London, in December.

Earlier in the year, the 36-year-old and her mother were the subject of a missing person investigation.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) confirmed to the BBC that it had discontinued its case after concluding there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.

Nightingale entered a not guilty plea to murder at a hearing on 17 April at the Old Bailey, in London, and the prosecution offered no evidence.

The CPS said it made the decision after reviewing the final post-mortem examination report and after seeking advice from the senior Treasury Counsel.

In August, Suffolk Police had issued an appeal to find Lorna and her daughter after they were reported missing.

At the time, it was said that Lorna had last been seen in Lowestoft in February, while Emma was last spotted in Colchester in June.

Within a few weeks, in September, the force said the mother and daughter had been found safe and well.

Then, on 11 December at about 10:14 GMT, officers were called to reports of an unresponsive woman at an address in Walthamstow by the London Ambulance Service.

Lorna was declared dead at the scene and her daughter was later arrested and charged with murder.

She was due to stand trial in May but last month was released from custody.

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