EX-POLICE OFFICER PLEADS GUILTY TO ATTEMPTED MURDER AFTER CRASHING INTO FUNERAL HOME

A former police officer from Northern Ireland has admitted to driving his vehicle through the window of a funeral home in the Borders, resulting in injuries to his ex-girlfriend and her mother.William McBurnie, aged 57, pleaded guilty to attempted murder during a court sitting at the High Court in Livingston.McBurnie was intoxicated while operating his car when he violently broke through the glass front of the funeral home, narrowly missing Zoe Turnbull, 46, and her mother, Beverley, 71, who were inside. Court proceedings revealed that McBurnie had been struggling with the end of his relationship, and he admitted to heavy drinking for four months prior to the incident.The incident occurred in December 2022, and CCTV footage from inside the funeral directors' premises in Jedburgh was presented in court. McBurnie exited the vehicle with a slight hand injury, apologizing with the words, "Sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking." On that day, he had been drinking since 6:00 AM and was nearly three times above the legal alcohol limit.The judge, Lord Mulholland, warned McBurnie to anticipate a lengthy prison sentence, describing his act as "cowardly and wickedly reckless." Police officials expressed that such acts of violence would not be tolerated and appreciated the victims' cooperation during the investigation.During the proceedings, the defense attorney, Gareth Jones, mentioned that McBurnie had shown genuine remorse and had only a vague recollection of the events. The sentencing was postponed until October 10 for further background reports to be compiled.The victims, Zoe Turnbull and her mother, suffered injuries; Zoe with a bruised leg and hearing loss, along with a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, and her mother experienced two cardiac arrests after fleeing the damaged premises. It was noted that McBurnie had previously served as an officer in the Police Service of Northern Ireland and was an advanced driver. At the time of the attack, he was working as a photographer for a local newspaper in the Borders and was in a relationship with Zoe Turnbull, which ended in June 2022.