CAROLINE Flack’s mum has pleaded with the CPS to let her daughter “rest in peace” after a lawyer claimed he was right to press ahead with the prosecution of the star.
Talking to the Sunday People, Ed Beltrami had insisted that because domestic abuse has a “high risk of repetition” he had no choice but to charge Caroline without her boyfriend’s backing.
Now the star’s mother Chris has accused the Crown Prosecution Service chief of repeating “untruths” about her daughter which she said left the TV favourite feeling humiliated.
She also accused the CPS of creating the “toxic environment” which led to her daughter’s death.
In a statement given to the Eastern Daily Press, grieving Chris wrote: “It is deeply regrettable that Mr Beltrami could not have let my beautiful daughter rest in peace.
“My daughter was unable to defend herself during her life and is unable to do so now. Shame on you.”
Mr Beltrami was the chief crown prosecutor in North London when Caroline, 40, took her life in February less than three weeks before her trial was due to start.
The Love Island host had been charged with assaulting boyfriend Lewis Burton, 28, at her £1m North London flat on December 12.
In her strongly-worded statement, the star’s mum said she believes prosecutors were “fully aware” her daughter was at risk.
She wrote: “Mr Beltrami says that the CPS ‘had no idea’ that my daughter may take her life when they decided to continue the case against her.
“If that is true then the CPS ignored the correspondence from my daughter’s solicitors and a psychologist’s report warning of just that possibility.
“It also ignores the fact that my daughter had cut herself so badly the night of the incident for which she was arrested that she was taken to two different hospitals and there were concerns for her life.
“How can you claim to have ‘no idea’ that someone may take their life when they have already attempted to do so because of the events in question?
“The CPS were fully aware of these matters and the risk when they decided to continue the prosecution.”
Caroline’s heartbroken mother added: “She admitted that she accidentally made contact with Lewis while she had her phone in her hand while emotionally distressed.
“My daughter confessed to an accident – not as is suggested – to an assault.
“Mr Beltrami has basically repeated the approach of the CPS in court on December 23 last year.
“That day the CPS created the toxic environment which ultimately led to Caroline’s death.
“They put into the public domain three claims which were either not true, or which they knew were misleading.”
She added later: “The CPS released the demons that chased down Caroline.”
The popular TV host had strongly denied the charge against her and her family and management have already slammed the CPS for pursuing the case branding it a “show trial”.
Lewis, who suffered a minor head injury during the incident at her North London home, has always insisted he “never supported” a prosecution.
He also said Caroline had become the subject of a “witch hunt”.
The Met Police has already referred itself to the police watchdog over its contact with Caroline before her death – which cops say is standard practice.
A CPS spokesman said: “Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Caroline Flack.
“It is normal practice for prosecutors to hold a debriefing in complex or sensitive cases after they have ended.
“This has taken place and found that the case was handled appropriately and in line with our published legal guidance.”
Caroline stepped down from hosting ITV2’s hit show Love Island after she was arrested.
She was bailed after the first court hearing, but was banned from contacting Lewis before the trial.
The trial was expected to begin on March 4.
