A MOTHER-of-five who died of stab wounds in North Tyneside had been preparing to move back home to the Isle of Man.
Tina Casey’s body was found at her house in Holywell, near Whitley Bay, earlier this month.
She had moved to Tyneside from the island some 16 years ago to be closer to a boyfriend.
Now her family are raising the £4,000 needed to bring her body back home.
At the weekend a sponsored car wash at the Grandstand organised by Tina’s older sister Tracey Wright raised more than £1,500 towards that target.
Speaking to the Manx Independent for the first time since her sister’s death, Tracey said from her home in Spring Valley: ‘Ironically, she was getting ready to come back to the Isle of Man to live.
‘She split up with her partner four to five years ago and had a got a little boy with him. I last saw her in November and she was desperate to come back home. She was packing ready to go.’
Detectives were led to Tina’s terraced house in Wallridge Drive after a car hit a lamppost in Shiremoor, North Tyneside on February 4.
Officers said they found ‘items in the car’ which led them to the 42-year-old’s house.
A post-mortem examination established that the cause of her death was stab wounds.
One of Tina’s friends contacted Tracey via Facebook. She rang the police in Newcastle to be told that a body had been found. ‘There was tape up around the house – you just know,’ Tracey said. ‘The whole family is in shock. She is going to be so sadly missed. I don’t think it has quite hit us all yet.’
Tracey said her sister was ‘very funny’ and ‘liked making people happy’. ‘She was a fun-loving person and she helped a lot of people.’
She added: ‘It has been really tough, but we have had a lot of people ringing and sending messages. I am overwhelmed with how many people are coming together with the fundraising.’
Tina and Tracey’s mum, originally from Oldham, married a Manxman and the family moved to the Isle of Man when he came out of the army. Tracey has lived here since 1975. Tina was the youngest of the five children and was born in Army barracks in Germany.
Three of Tina’s children all live in the island – Stacey lives in Anagh Coar, Bekii lives with her boyfriend in Douglas and Danni, 17, lives with Tracey at her home in Spring Valley.
Most people know Tina under her maiden name Halsall.
Saturday’s fundraiser at the TT Grandstand raised just over £1,500.
‘We thought we were going to raise £500 to £600 but it just kept going up and up,’ said Tracey. ‘More and more people turned up to volunteer – I didn’t know half of them. It was brilliant.’
Heather Emmonds, 57, of Seaton Delaval, Northumberland, has been charged with Tina’s murder.
