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Victim Wins Undisclosed Payout From Ex-Police Officer Who Drove Into Her Funeral Parlour

The settlement closes the civil case that followed his 2024 attempted-murder sentence.

Overview

  • Digby Brown Solicitors, acting for Zoe Turnbull, confirmed Tuesday the civil claim has settled for an undisclosed sum.
  • In December 2022, William McBurnie drove a car through the window of Turnbull Funeral Directors in Jedburgh, narrowly missing Zoe and her 71-year-old mother, Beverly.
  • CCTV recorded the crash as debris filled the room and both women were injured, with Zoe later reporting hearing loss and injuries to her back and legs.
  • At sentencing in October 2024, the High Court imposed a 13-year extended sentence with 11 years in custody, two years of supervision, non-harassment orders, and a 16½-year driving ban.
  • McBurnie previously served with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the court heard he had been drinking whisky before the attack, and the judge said he turned his car into a “lethal weapon” as Zoe now seeks privacy to rebuild her life.