Equilibrium Shooting

The Accused Pleads Case In Her Defence

Rena Salmon

Rena Salmon, who stands accused of murdering Lorna Stewart in the former Equilibrium Salon on the Chiswick High Road, broke down in tears in court as she told how her husband had made her promise to commit suicide.

She was so distraught when her husband, Paul, left her for Ms Stewart, that she tried twice, unsuccessfully, to take her own life. On one occasion she needed to spend four days in hospital.

Mrs Salmon recounted tales of cruel taunting that Paul Salmon had allegedly subjected her. She said "He told me he had made a lot of mistakes in his life but the biggest was calling the paramedics. I started to cry and he said he could see the pain I was in and he would look after the kids and I would be better off if I did it again.”

He then asked her if she would promise to try again and she said "Yes, I promise I will do it today".

Rena Salmon explained that she drove from the family home to Hungerford Common and took an overdose of pills after which she sent a text message to her children saying she would "look down on them from heaven".

She was found by police and woke up in hospital "I told them I didn't want to live and would do it again. I didn't want to be alive, there was no point," she said.

She went on to tell how her estranged husband taunted her with his new relationship and how Lorna Stewart had rang her late at night to say "I just want you to know I'm really happy with Paul and we are going to try for a baby."

Sobbing, she told the court that her life had ended at the moment she was told of the affair between her husband and Ms Stewart adding that "Paul was the first person to ever love me - that was gone."

The case continues.

May 13, 2003

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