A grieving Edinburgh mum is pleading for new housing after her son’s death left her traumatised in her home

A devastated Edinburgh mother says she feels “completely ignored” by authorities after being forced to stay in the home where the death of her son occurred.

Maryann Taylor was on holiday in the Dominican Republic last September when she checked her dog camera—only to realise something was wrong. Concerned by her pets’ behaviour, she asked a friend to check on her son, Craig, who had stayed behind.

Through the kitchen window, Craig’s friend saw his lifeless body. Police had to break in, finding the 30-year-old had been dead for hours. Six months on, Maryann says her mental health has collapsed as she wakes up every morning in the house where Craig died.

Desperate to move, she has pleaded with Edinburgh Council for a suitable home, but claims she’s being left to “struggle alone.” Living with a heart condition and arthritis, she says offers so far have been inadequate for her needs.

Local MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton called her case “one of the hardest and most tragic” he has encountered and vowed to push the council for action. Meanwhile, police continue to treat Craig’s death as “unexplained,” leaving Maryann in limbo.

“I can’t get through a day in this house,” she said. “I see his empty bedroom, then I walk into the room where he lay dead for hours. I just want to move on, but no one will help.”

Edinburgh Council claims they are offering support and options, but for Maryann, it’s not enough. “I’ve not got three months left in this house, let alone three weeks,” she said.

As she struggles for a fresh start, the trauma of the death of her son haunts her every day, leaving the Edinburgh mother trapped in a painful reminder she cannot escape.