The Pitcairn Perspectives by Philip Spires - HTML preview

Islington tragedy: Academic’s family dies in drug overdose – police investigate

Edward Pitcairn, professor of archaeology in Hackney Metro University, was found dead on the steps of the family house last Tuesday evening. His body was badly mutilated after his mobile phone battery caught fire. The body was discovered by a neighbour out walking at around nine thirty. The neighbour, unfortunately, did not immediately notify the emergency services, believing that he himself could intervene. His efforts proved fruitless, and another neighbour eventually called the police and fire brigade after an unnecessary delay of around ten minutes. The police are investigating whether the delay may have contributed to the seriousness of the incident.

Edward Pitcairn’s family, daughter Gemma, 50, and his granddaughter Elsie, 26, were also discovered dead inside the house, having succumbed to an overdose of the recreational drug, fentanyl. A third victim inside the house, a male in his forties has not yet been officially named, but it is assumed that he was Mr. Geoff Sullivan, the live-in boyfriend of Gemma Pitcairn.

Emergency service personnel report that they were called to an address near Highbury Fields, Islington, at around a quarter to ten. They arrived to find Edward Pitcairn dead on the steps outside the house’s front door. Pitcairn’s mobile phone appeared to have ignited while he was trying to escape from the house. His body was badly burned, but the identification was definite.

It appears that there had been domestic differences surrounding Gemma Pitcairn’s relationship with her boyfriend, Mr. Sullivan. It appears that Edward Pitcairn may have administered the drug to his daughter, her lover and granddaughter in a fit of pique. His judgment may have been at fault as a result of his own terminal condition. He was suffering from a pancreatic cancer, a condition that was predicted to end his own life in the near future. Oncologist Dr. Julius Stringer, who spoke to us having been told of these events, said, “It is not uncommon that a patient with a terminal illness suddenly and irrationally becomes vindictive and tries to take family members with him. It is a condition that we call terminal agitation and can result in the terminally ill patient resorting to uncharacteristic behaviour, including anger or aggression. It is possible that in this case, the patient vented that uncontrolled anger towards his family members.”

It is alleged that Professor Pitcairn, a well-known left-wing academic, apparently poisoned his family members and then tried to escape. His mobile phone apparently developed a fault as he left the house and its battery ignited. The flames were what alerted the neighbours, who raised the alarm. Emergency personnel at the scene also reported that there was a smell of gas inside the house.

Professor Edward Pitcairn, 73, was an accomplished archaeologist. His daughter, Gemma, 50, was a noted left-wing academic, specialising in Media Studies and taught at Hackney Metro University, the same institution where her father had held a Professorship for forty years. Edward Pitcairn’s granddaughter, Elsie, 26, was previously employed in film and television production, but had recently lost her job. In recent years, she had become an environmental campaigner and was involved with organising the demonstration that led to the Hackney-Stratford riots last month. Elsie Pitcairn, as reported in this newspaper, was arrested at that event for antisocial behaviour towards the police, her eventual charge being resisting arrest. The case against her was pending at the time of the family incident in which she, her mother, her mother’s boyfriend and her grandfather lost their lives.

Elsie Pitcairn’s campaign was actively opposing the construction of Uking Palace, a residential development in east London, a project being undertaken by an Indonesian company, partly owned by Edward Pitcairn’s professional colleague, Dr. Onggo Sarnu. Police are currently investigating whether this was the source of a major family argument that went tragically wrong.

One as yet unproved interpretation is that Edward Pitcairn had become so ashamed of his granddaughter’s notoriety and apparent professional failure that he became unbalanced, believing that his family were in danger of destroying his own name and legacy. Both Gemma and Elsie Pitcairn were known to be recreational drug users. One former colleague of Edward Pitcairn’s granddaughter told us that recreational fentanyl use amongst media professionals is widespread.

The coroner is yet to report an official cause of death.