Maryann Taylor has been pleading with Edinburgh Council for a new council house but says her pleas are “falling on deaf ears” despite being offered properties that she claims are “unsuitable”
An Edinburgh mum is living a nightmare after being “stuck” in the house where her son tragically died. Maryann Taylor lost her son Craig, who would have turned 31 on March 27, back in September last year. Since then, she’s felt “trapped” and “completely ignored”.
Six months on from her devastating loss, Maryann reveals her mental health has taken a severe hit. She feels her requests for a new council house are “falling on deaf ears”, as the properties offered to her so far haven’t met her needs.
The grieving mum was on holiday last September when she noticed something amiss while checking her home security cameras. After asking a friend of Craig’s to investigate, they discovered his lifeless body on the kitchen floor.
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Since that horrific day, Maryann wakes up each morning to face the room where her son “lay alone in dead for hours”, reports Edinburgh Live.
She’s been desperately appealing to Edinburgh Council for a new home, one that can accommodate her two dogs and provide space for her daughter and carer to visit. Living with a heart condition and arthritis, Maryann feels she hasn’t been provided with suitable housing and has been left to ‘struggle on her own’.
The circumstances surrounding her son’s death remain “unexplained”, with police investigations still “looming” over Maryann.
Maryann’s despair reached new levels after her son tragically passed away in their home, leading her to seek the help of MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton, who described her case as “one of the hardest and most tragic” he’s encountered recently, adding that he’s “working closely with the council” to seek a resolution.
The local authority, Edinburgh Council, has acknowledged her plight, confirming that they are aware of her circumstances and are extending support and housing options.
In a heart-wrenching interview with Edinburgh Live, Maryann shared her agony, confessing she’s been feeling “completely suicidal”. She explained the daily torment she endures: “The first thing I do in the morning is pass by his empty bedroom.”
She further disclosed her ongoing anguish: “The second thing I do is go into the room where he died and was left for all those hours on his own. I’ve got to sit in the lounge, where they broke the window to get access to him.”
Battling with grief, she said, “While I’m trapped in this house, I can barely get through a day.” Maryann was abroad when the tragedy involving her son Craig occurred. She recounted the harrowing moment she found out: “I’d forgotten my heart medication on holiday so I was running about trying to find it.
“It wasn’t until teatime that I checked the cameras for the dogs. I could see them coming in and out of the kitchen one by one, kind of swapping places. They were looking at something. I phoned one of Craig’s friends who went down.”
What he discovered was shocking: “He saw Craig dead on the kitchen floor through the window. Police had to break down the window to get to him. He’d been there for hours.”
Since the ordeal, Maryann has been attempting to move house and stated grimly: “I just can’t seem to get help from anyone.
“I told my housing officer, I’ve not got three months left in this house let alone three weeks. I can’t get any help anywhere. I’m one person, I’m disabled and I’ve got a heart condition and arthritis.
“My lifeline is my two dogs, I need a house with a garden for them. I can’t go live in a flat, I can’t go up the stairs and there’s nowhere for the dogs to go.
“Edinburgh Council think I’m being inflexible, but I’ve said I’m willing to live in half of the city. Ideally I’d like to be near my family, friends, my carers – in the area I grew up in, but I’ve said I’m happy to go out with that. I just feel that the system is so broken.
“I am just so tired from fighting it all. Last night I came downstairs during the night to get a drink and I kept seeing my son everywhere dead on the floor. I am having a bit of a breakdown, to be honest – and I am surprised its taken this long.”
Maryann sought a letter from her GP to present to Edinburgh Council, outlining her struggles. The letter from Almond Group practice states: “Ms Taylor has a longstanding history of anxiety and depression.
“In addition she suffers from chronic pain. Tragically, her son was found deceased in their property.
“He resided with her at home and the two were extremely close. Following this, she has suffered a severe decline in her mental health and wellbeing.”
“She is unable to go into the kitchen to cook, clean or carry out housekeeping without flashbacks and distress. She similarly struggles to walk the hallway in the home whilst passing his bedroom.
“She has been struggling with escalating suicidal ideation. She feels unable to process her grief whilst living in the home.”
The letter also suggests that a house without stairs and a bath would help alleviate her symptoms, as well as providing space for her two dogs.
Edinburgh Council has acknowledged the issue to Edinburgh Live, confirming ‘they are aware of the situation and working with Maryann to find a solution’.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland stated: “Around 12.30pm on Sunday, 29 September, 2024 we received a report of the death of a 30-year-old man in a property in the Cotlaws area of Kirkliston.
“The death is currently unexplained and enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the death are ongoing. A report has been sent to the Procurator Fiscal.”
Maryann’s MSP, Alex Cole-Hamilton, shared with us: “Maryann came to see me and as cases go, this is one of the hardest and most tragic I’ve dealt with in recent times. My heart goes out to her and her family, and we’ve worked closely with the council to try to get an urgent relocation for her. We’re still committed to that task.
“There is a housing crisis in Edinburgh, which means that appropriate property is scarce. But we should not compound one trauma of losing her son, with her feeling trapped.”
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