FAREWELL, LOUISE

THE sisters of "dead" Scots mum Louise Tiffney are to hold a funeral for her - even though her body is still missing.

Mother-of-two Louise was 43 when she vanished from her Edinburgh home in May 2002, and she has not been seen since.

Her son, Sean Flynn, 21, was charged with her murder but cleared last month by a High Court jury on the controversial Not Proven verdict.

The decision horrified Louise's family, including her four sisters Iris, Katie, Lulu and Jean.

A person can't be officially declared dead until he or she has been missing for at least seven years.

But the sisters say they want an end to their three years of anguish and that her funeral next month will help bring them "a sense of peace".

The service will be held at the capital's Cramond Kirk at 12pm on Saturday, May 28. A photograph of Louise will stand on the spot where a coffin would normally be placed.

Though Flynn will not be welcome, the sisters say they will not try to stop him attending.

Louise's youngest sister Iris McKinlay, 38, said: "It is to be conducted as a proper funeral service, even though there will be no coffin and no body. And it will also be a celebration of Louise's life.

"We have been thinking about holding a funeral service for some time but we were too busy with the trial. We've had a bit of time since to think about it and plan it.

"None of us is a regular churchgoer, and neither was Louise, but she was a spiritual person and we felt a church funeral service would be appropriate."

Oldest sister Jean Tiffney, 47, said: "I'm hoping it's going to be a wonderful day. We've had three years of confusion and upset and this will give us an opportunity to celebrate her life as well as mourn her death.

"There's no doubt in my mind that she is dead. Unfortunately, I wish there was a possibility that she might come back but none of us believes that will happen.

We can, hopefully, gain a sense of peace by having this service."

Flynn walked free after a sensational four-week trial at the High Court in Perth.

His mother, who also had a nine-year-old daughter, vanished from her flat in Dean Path, Edinburgh, days before Flynn was jailed for killing his cousin and a friend in a car crash. Louise went missing the night before Flynn was sentenced; and he was still in Polmont Young Offenders' Institution when charged with her murder.

By his own admission, Flynn was the last person known to have seen her alive and the person with whom she had the argument that, he said, drove her away. Her blood was found in the boot of his car.

In court, he was unable to say why mobile phone records placed him in East Lothian on the day after his mother's disappearance at a time when he said he was in Edinburgh.

The court heard claims that Flynn had told his mother to "get the f*** out of my life," and that it would be a "good idea" if she "stopped breathing".

It was alleged that, on the day Louise vanished, Flynn had snapped after arguing with her. A neighbour told the jury he had heard an argument that ended with a woman screaming.

Other witnesses said Flynn had argued with his mother about his relationship with a woman 25 years his senior.

Police officers said a car similar to his had been spotted on police CCTV cameras in Edinburgh in the early hours of May 28, 2002. Flynn, however, denied all the charges. He admitted he had argued with his mother but claimed she had simply stormed out of the house. After the verdict, Flynn again denied murdering her and said he hoped that she would still turn up alive.

Iris said: "We haven't extended an invitation to him but we wouldn't want to exclude anyone. If he turns up, we're not going to welcome him with open arms but it is his mother's funeral so he has a right to be there."

The sisters, with parents Roger and Mary Tiffney, began making arrange-ments for the ceremony in the wake of the harrowing court case.

Iris, a customer service adviser, said the family would remain haunted by the riddle of Louise's disappearance.

She said: "We're trying to look on it as a proper funeral but it's not because we don't have her. We're all living in limbo until her body is found.

"The police have exhausted all their leads but have assured us they'll keep the case open."

The family has "adopted" a redwood tree at Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden, which was one of Louise's favourite spots, in her memory.

Police are still appealing for information from the public about Louise's disappearance but a spokeswoman admitted the force believes the former launderette worker is dead and "we do not consider her a missing person".

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