French authorities have determined that the deaths of a British couple in their residence in south-west France were a case of murder followed by suicide. Andrew and Dawn Searle, who had previously resided in East Lothian, were discovered dead on February 6 at their home in Les Pequies, approximately one hour north of Toulouse. Mrs. Searle was found in the garden with significant head injuries, while her husband’s body was found hanging inside the property. The prosecutor overseeing the case stated there is no evidence indicating the involvement of another individual in their deaths.

Mrs. Searle, who grew up in Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders, and Mr. Searle, who hails from England, had previously lived in Musselburgh and got married in France in 2023. They had been residing in the Aveyron region for five years. According to Mr. Searle’s LinkedIn profile, he had prior work experience in financial crime prevention at organizations including Standard Life and Barclays Bank.

Dawn Searle’s son, Callum Kerr, who is an actor on the Hollyoaks show, released a statement on social media at the time of the deaths. He expressed, “At this time, Callum Kerr and Amanda Kerr are mourning the loss of their mother, Dawn Searle (née Smith, Kerr), while Tom Searle and Ella Searle are mourning the loss of their father, Andrew Searle.” He also requested for the family’s privacy to be respected during this “difficult period”. Mr. Kerr, who is 30 years old, walked his mother down the aisle during her wedding to Mr. Searle in France in 2023.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c98gemml1y5o