Sarah Falla in her ‘sanctuary’ – the garden at her parents’ home. (0583633)
A YEAR to the day after the death of their daughter in a double shooting at Vazon, the heartbroken parents of Sarah Falla say they are finally ready to share their story.
John and Janet Digard are still shocked and devastated by her death at the hand of her husband, gun enthusiast Michael, at Fort Hommet. She was shot twice before he turned the gun on himself. Sarah died soon afterwards in hospital from a gunshot wound to the back of her head. He died instantly.
Speaking at Sarah’s family home in Castel yesterday, the couple said today’s anniversary of their 34-year-old daughter’s death would be an ‘extremely difficult time’. ‘It is hard to sum up in words how we feel,’ said her father. ‘We lost Sarah in an awful way a year ago, but it doesn’t feel like any time has passed at all. It will live with us forever.’
Yet despite the pain, they now want to reveal more about the events leading up to the horrific killings in the headland car park. They believe it will help the family to put Sarah’s memory to rest.
‘We didn’t speak at the time because we felt such utter grief,’ explained her tearful mother. ‘But now we can’t move on until we tell the whole story. We feel this is the right time.’
They revealed how Sarah had agreed to meet her 44-year-old husband that fateful evening only to help him finally accept that their marriage was over.
‘Nobody except those close to Sarah really knew what was going on,’ said Mrs Digard. ‘Neighbours might have thought they were a normal couple, but we now know our daughter felt trapped.’
Five days before her death, she had left her marital home in Torteval and moved back to her parents’ home in Pre du Gele, Castel.
‘She had told him it was over and was relieved that she could finally begin her life again. She was so happy here those last few days. Her favourite place was our garden – she called it her sanctuary. Later we wondered if that meant she had been threatened before.’
Sarah had packed all she wanted into her car. ‘She told us that after 10 years of marriage she was happy to leave the house and everything. “It means nothing to me. I just want to come home”, she said.’
On the night she died, Sarah promised her parents she would not be long. She planned to tell her husband that he must leave her alone once and for all and finally accept the marriage was over. Sarah hoped to do that at his mother’s St Sampson’s home, where she knew he would have some support.
‘Sarah was a very caring person and was thinking about his feelings all the time. She felt she owed it to him to meet up and help him come to terms with things. This was going to be the last time and she told us she would be glad when it was all over.’
Sarah’s parting words when she left were: ‘Don’t worry, mum and dad. I won’t be late.’ Mrs Digard added: ‘That was the last time we saw our beautiful, lovely daughter alive.’
Paying tribute to Sarah through the pages of the Guernsey Press, Mr Digard added: ‘It’s hard speaking out in a small place like Guernsey – and we are a very quiet and private family. But we want to do this – we want people to remember Sarah. She really was an extremely caring and special person who always put others before herself.
‘Her life was so cruelly taken away, but we are privileged that she was a part of our family. It also gives us some comfort to know that in the last few days of her life, she was happy and looking forward to a better life – a life of freedom.’
Article posted on 23rd May, 2008 - 2.30pm
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