Killer’s identity not known, say police, as ‘devastated’ family raise funds to bring body home

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

﻿A British woman has died in Barbados after being doused with a flammable substance and set alight as she lay in bed.

﻿The family of Luton-born Natalie Crichlow said they were “shocked and devastated” by her death.

Crichlow, 44, was visiting family on the island when she was attacked by an unknown intruder on 28 July.

The mother-of-three, who had survived cancer twice and had had two strokes in the past decade, was on a trip to help look after her disabled brother and was attacked at his home in Christ Church.

She suffered 75% burns to her body but died in hospital on 6 August, the family said.

Her niece Ashley Best told PA: “The intruder broke into the house, then strangled her and then set her alight. I do not understand why it happened and we are all in a state of shock.

“She went into hospital and died of her injuries. For someone who had battled through so much to just be taken in this way and lose their life is just beyond understanding.

“She said she wanted to live life to the fullest because her life had nearly been taken from her.”

No arrests have been made, a spokesman for the Royal Barbados police force said.

Crichlow, of Colindale, north London, was gay and had three children, aged 10, 20 and 26, who are “devastated” and want to get her body back home to Britain for burial.

Crichlow, also known by the names of Natalee and Karma, had worked in various jobs including as a makeup artist and as door staff.

Stabroek News in Barbados reported that police were hunting a man who “barged into a house, choked a woman, doused her with a flammable substance and then set the house on fire”.

Best said: “Justice needs to be served and our justice is to try and bring her home to rest.”

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to try to raise the money needed to bring her body back to Britain.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “Our staff are supporting the family of a British woman following her death in Barbados, and are in contact with the Barbados police force.”