A MAN who killed his mother before shooting himself became addicted to heroin after she won £1.25million on the football pools, a report found.

Mark Tyler, 37, shot his mother Maureen, 79, at her home in Pitsea View Road, Crays Hill, before killing himself several days later.

A review into the incident, which was published yesterday, found she was not identified as being at risk of harm from her son despite him being known to the authorities, including police, probation, mental health and drug support services.

The domestic homicide review into the deaths in 2012 lists 18 recommendations for how authorities can learn from the tragic incident.

Bala Mahendran, chairman of the Basildon Community Safety Partnership, which compiled the report, said information should have been shared between the agencies in the lead up to the deaths.

Mr Tyler became addicted to heroin after his mother won the jackpot on the football pools in the early 1990s.

The review states Mrs Tyler gave large sums of money to her two sons after receiving the cash windfall.

The report states: “It is understood that by 1999 both of her sons were addicted to heroin.

“The pools money made it possible for them to spend large amounts of money on illicit drugs.”

According to the review, Mrs Tyler “enabled the drug use of her sons and is not known to have challenged them to stop taking drugs”.

Mr Mahendran said evidence submitted as part the review suggested there was no history of domestic abuse in the family.

He said: “The deaths were an absolute tragedy.

“No one could have foreseen this awful outcome, however it became clear during the review that there was a breadth of information and complex web of relationships between the agencies and Mr Tyler.

“If information was shared more effectively and a multi-agency approach had been adopted perhaps more could have been done to provide the comprehensive support he very much needed.”

Both bodies were found on September 3, 2012.

An inquest concluded it was likely Mrs Tyler had been shot on either August 27 or 28, before Mr Tyler killed himself on September 1.

Echo:

ADDICT "JUST NEEDED HIS MUM"

MAUREEN Tyler resisted attempts made by family members to take her son to hospital to treat his drug addiction, the review found.

In 2011, when his father was seriously ill, Mr Tyler started to use heroin again.

The report states he “started to exhibit bizarre and worrying behaviour”.

It describes Mrs Tyler as a “complex character with a long history of domestic abuse” who was keen to look after her son.

The report stated: “Most of the people who knew her recognised she needed to be needed.

“They say that she did not listen to the advice of others and believed that she could save her sons and that they needed her.

“In the last few months of her life she resisted the attempts made by the family to take him into hospital, saying that she could look after him and that he just needed his mum.”

Mr Tyler and his ex-wife were both placed into residential rehabilitation units in 2006, which led to their four children being placed in foster care.

One child returned to him the following year, but was taken away again in 2009 due to his drug use.

The report adds: “Difficulties over child contact were reported as a constant source of concern for him from 2009 until his death.“ Between February 2011 and July 2012, Mr Tyler was subject to four mental health assessments, but was not diagnosed with a formal condition.

His criminal record included a firearms conviction and two drug offences in 2010.

The report said Mrs Tyler had never raised any concerns about her safety.

But it added: “The evidence suggests she was unlikely to have raised concerns herself, but that at 79 years-old and with both sons being drug addicts, that she may have needed support.”

FAMILY THANKED FOR HONESTY

BASILDON Community Safety Partnership has developed a three-year plan focusing on hidden harms in relationships in wake of the report.

A spokesman for the partnership said signs of abuse in relationships, including controlling behaviour, need to be highlighted.

He said: “Abuse in a relationship can happen to anyone and it is never OK.

“It can destroy your self-confidence, have a negative impact on your health and well-being and leave you feeling isolated and lonely.

“Abuse involves more than physical violence, it can be when someone puts you down, threatens you or forces you to do something you don’t want to or controls you by not letting you see your friends or checking your phone.

“If your relationship leaves you feeling scared, intimidated or controlled, it’s possible you’re in an abusive relationship.”

Speaking after the review was published, Mr Mahendran said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the family members and friends who contributed to this review.

“They were honest and committed to the process and were wholeheartedly hoping the review would identify how services could be improved and lessons learned so no other family would need to experience the challenges they have faced as a result of this tragedy.

“I believe that the recommendations and the changes that have already been implemented have already resulted in worthwhile improvements that have gone some way to ensuring services are improved.”

Anyone wanting support and advice on domestic abuse can visit www.thisisabuse.direct.gov.uk, or www.basildon.gov.uk/domesticabuse.