Caribbean cliff fall death of newlywed
A newlywed plunged to her death off a cliff at her Caribbean paradise home on Christmas Day.
Sarah Thomas, 46, originally from Ashton, Preston, was believed to have been picking herbs in the garden of her home in the village of Piaye in St Lucia when she accidently fell.
The lawyer had emigrated to the island in 2010 and married local man, Kevin Thomas, last summer.
Her parents, William and Christine Pickering, from Mulgrave Avenue, Ashton, and Sarah’s sister Alison are “devastated” following the tragedy.
Mrs Pickering said: “Words can’t express what we feel at the loss of our lovely daughter. Sarah had been incredibly happy with Kevin.
“St Lucia was her home. She loved Kevin and loved the island. We wish to make it clear that there has been a full police investigation and we believe that Sarah’s death is just the result of a terrible accident.”
She added that Mrs Thomas would be buried in St Lucia.
The legal expert had quit her job as managing director of the UK arm of tax advisers Alvarez and Marsal to start a new life in the Caribbean where she had set up her own consultancy business, PiAYE Consulting. She had been helping out at a local school in Piaye, a small village on the southern tip of the island.
Mrs Thomas, who grew up in Preston, studied law at Nottingham University for three years until 1987. Before emigrating she lived in London and still owned a £1m home in Clapham, which she rented out.
She spent six years as a partner at accountancy giant, Ernst and Young, in London between 2002 and 2008.
A spokesman for the British Foreign Office confirmed it was providing support to Mrs Thomas’ family.
He said: “We are aware of the death of a British national on December 25, 2011.”
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Weather for Preston
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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