Tragic final days of mom, 47, who lay lifeless in disabled bathroom for 72 hours: Heartbroken household reveal how she was a ‘girl in ache’ attempting to ‘change her life’ – as restaurant the place her physique was discovered points assertion

Family and friends have revealed details about the final days of a tragic mother said to have lain dead in a restaurant toilet for 72 hours before being found – as appeal donations for her funeral poured in.

Sabrina Lyttle, from Blackpool, who struggled with drink and drugs, was freed from jail just days before dying at the age of 47.

Her daughter Jade Casey, 27, has told how Sabrina was discovered dead at the Gurkha Buffet Restaurant, Hotel and Bar in Blackpool, Lancashire.

She and Sabrina’s mother Christine, 68, say they are unsure why she went into the toilet but said nobody from the restaurant realised that she was in there for three days.

Now a friend Erika Zazzu, who has set up a GoFundMe online appeal on the family’s behalf, has provided more information about Sabrina’s last days. 

She described Sabrina as ‘a person who was in pain and who dealt with that pain as best she could’, as well as a loving mother to two daughters Jade and Tiarna.

Erika also told how Sabrina ‘struggled with addiction throughout her life’ and was only released from jail on November 27 before her body was found three days later.

It comes as a spokesperson for The Gurkha Restaurant, Hotel and Bar issued a statement on the tragedy, saying: ‘On Thursday 28th November 2024 at 8.34pm, a non-customer member of the public entered the premises and asked to use the toilets.

‘As the restaurant had already closed for the evening, directions to the pub toilets, which are in a separate area of the building, were given.

‘Staff in the pub provided further directions to the general pub toilets and did not issue access to the disabled toilet.

‘Access to the separate and locked disabled toilet is gained via staff as the facility cannot be opened with a RADAR key.

‘The male and female toilets are deep-cleaned every morning and checked throughout the day, with the disabled toilet checked after every authorised use and cleaned as required, due to infrequent use.

‘Access to the disabled toilet was not requested until Friday evening around 10pm.

‘The staff with the assistance of other helpful pub customers were unable to unlock the door and as access had not been granted for the past 24 hours, it was reported as a maintenance issue to management.

‘The following day on Saturday before opening, management was unable to gain access using all secure keys and removing the locking mechanism before alerting the police.

‘We are aware of public posts that are full of information that is not correct, and we believe the speculations have not contributed positively to anyone affected, including the grieving family, the dedicated Gurkha staff and the community of Blackpool. We are aware of an ongoing inquest and will not be making any further public comments.’

The GoFundMe appeal has so far raised more than £1,300, with money going towards Sabrina’s funeral as well as drug and alcohol support service Horizon.

Erika wrote: ‘I’ve created this fundraiser on behalf of one of my closest friends, Jade, who has recently lost her mum.

‘Jade has spent a lifetime wondering if this day would come, but nothing can truly prepare you for that devastating phone call or the overwhelming experience she is going through.

‘Despite the many mistakes Sabrina made in her life, she was a mother, a daughter, a sister, and more.

‘She was a person, a person who was in pain and dealt with that pain as best as she could. Sabrina took pride in knowing her greatest achievements were her two daughters, Jade and Tiarna, whom she adored and tried to get better for.’

She described how Jade had spoken to her mother three weeks before her death, telling how Sabrina was ‘determined to get sober again’.

Erika wrote: ‘Sabrina told Jade how much she loved her, and Jade held onto hope that this time things might change. Tragically, Sabrina didn’t get better in time.

‘Sabrina struggled with addiction throughout her life. She fought hard, but sadly, she lost her battle this week at the young age of 47. 

‘Although she faced many challenges and made many mistakes during her addiction, Sabrina didn’t deserve to pass away the way she did.

‘She was released from prison on Wednesday without Jade’s knowledge and sadly passed away in a public bathroom the following day. She fought hard for years but unfortunately her body was tired of fighting.’

Erika said in her GoFundMe appeal how Jade wanted to honour her mother with ‘the compassion and respect that was often missing during her lifetime and give her the funeral she deserves’.

She added: ‘Jade also hopes to donate a portion of the funds to Horizon, a drug and alcohol support service that supported Sabrina over the years in her fight against addiction and will be doing a collection for the service at the funeral.’

Jade told earlier this week how ‘heartbroken’ she felt, knowing her mother was in the restaurant’s disabled toilet while people there were eating and drinking.

She said: ‘The police have told us that customers were complaining that they couldn’t get into the toilet, but they assumed something had happened with the lock. They then opened up the disabled toilet and found her on the Saturday morning.

‘I’m angry because she could have been found sooner, they should have done the usual toilet checks. It’s heartbreaking because we know she was left in the cold, on her own. 

‘I know she was dead but it’s the fact she was there while people were eating and drinking. 

‘We don’t know the cause of death yet but there’s part of us that thought she might have been struggling and needed help and then could have been saved.’

Jade said that CCTV footage showed Sabrina entering the restaurant on November 28 last year and going into the disabled toilet.

She said that they ‘aren’t sure’ why she decided to go into the restaurant but police said that there were no drugs present

Jade said: ‘There weren’t any drugs at the scene and CCTV footage showed her entering the building on the Thursday.

‘We think she broke into the disabled toilet – we think she picked the lock to get in so she didn’t have to ask for a key.

‘We aren’t sure of the circumstances of why she went in, it could have been to get warm because she had been released from prison the day before.’

Jade, from Fleetwood in Lancashire, also paid tribute to her mother – hailing her as a ‘really nice person’ who was ‘funny and kind’.

Jade added: ‘She suffered with addiction and she was in and out of homelessness for the last 25 years but she was a really nice person. She was funny and she was kind.’

And in a Facebook tribute addressing her mother, Jade wrote: ‘Despite what anyone might think they know about you, you were intelligent, you made everyone laugh, and you had a good heart and beautiful soul buried beneath all the trauma and addiction.

‘The drugs stripped you of all of the good parts and only left the bad for a long time but I know how hard you fought, for years, you fought so hard mum, but in the end the battle was too fierce.’

A Lancashire Police spokesperson said: ‘We were called at shortly after 1pm on Saturday, November 30 to a report of a sudden death at an address on Waterloo Road in Blackpool.

‘Officers attended and sadly the body of a woman in her 40s was found dead inside the address.

‘Our thoughts are with her loved ones at this time. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for HM Coroner.’

Licensing authority Blackpool Council has now confirmed officers from its public protection team have been made aware of Sabrina’s death and plan to speak to bosses at Gurkha following the restaurant’s Christmas closure since December 23 – with the venue not due to reopen until January 24.

A Blackpool Council spokesperson said: ‘Our public protection team has recently been made aware of this tragic death. Once the property has reopened after its Christmas closure they will be speaking to the operator.’

MailOnline has approached the Gurkha Buffet Restaurant, Hotel and Bar for comment.

A spokesperson for the restaurant has been quoted by online newsletter the Blackpool Lead as saying: ‘A non-customer member of the public entered the premises and asked to use the toilets.

‘As the restaurant had already closed for the evening, directions to the pub toilets, which are in a separate area of the building, were given. Staff in the pub provided further directions to the general pub toilets and did not issue access to the disabled toilet.’

They added that ‘access to the disabled toilet was not requested until Friday evening around 10pm’, saying: ‘The staff with the assistance of other helpful pub customers were unable to unlock the door and as access had not been granted for the past 24 hours, it was reported as a maintenance issue to management

‘The following day on Saturday before opening, management was unable to gain access using all secure keys and removing the locking mechanism before alerting the police.

‘We are aware of public posts that are full of information that is not correct, and we believe the speculations have not contributed positively to anyone affected, including the grieving family, the dedicated Gurkha staff and the community of Blackpool. We are aware of an ongoing inquest and will not be making any further public comments.’