Former policeman jailed for Jedburgh car crash murder bid

October 10

Watch: Ex-policeman crashes into shop in attempt to murder ex-partner

A former police officer from Northern Ireland has been jailed for 11 years after he admitted attempting to murder his ex-partner and her mother at a funeral home in the Borders.

William McBurnie drove his car at speed through the front window of Zoe Turnbull’s office in Jedburgh a few months after she had ended their relationship.

The 57-year-old former Belfast detective was appearing at the High Court in Livingston for sentencing.

He was given an extended sentence of 11 years in custody followed by two years under supervision.

McBurnie had been working as a freelance press photographer in Jedburgh since relocating from his native Northern Ireland.

He had formed a relationship with Ms Turnbull, but she had broken up with him during the summer of 2022.

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William McBurnie admitted attempting to murder Zoe and Beverley Turnbull.

The 46-year-old businesswoman described her two years with McBurnie as feeling “trapped”.

She added: “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.”

Ms Turnbull said he had exerted a “reign of terror” on her and her family.

McBurnie had been drinking on the morning of 7 December 2022, and was nearly three times over the alcohol limit when he drove at speed through the window of the town centre funeral home.

The vehicle narrowly missed Ms Turnbull and her 71-year-old mother, Beverley, but it left both with life-changing conditions.

Ms Turnbull suffered hearing loss and injuries to her back and legs, while her mother experienced two cardiac arrests in the hours after the crash.

She continues to suffer from atrial fibrillation, breathlessness and fatigue.

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Zoe Turnbull described McBurnie as “controlling” during their two-year relationship

CCTV footage from inside the funeral directors was previously played at the High Court in Livingston after McBurnie pleaded guilty.

It showed his car being driven at speed past a give-way sign, before mounting a pavement, crashing through two flower planters and then smashing through the large office window.

The footage also showed Ms Turnbull and her mother pressing themselves against side walls to avoid the impact.

The court heard that McBurnie had been struggling to come to terms with the end of the relationship and had said he had been drinking heavily for four months.

Gareth Jones, defending, said his client had expressed “genuine remorse” for his actions and only had a vague recollection of what had happened.

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