Murdered Maureen Cosgrove’s son told of his “shock and bewilderment” following the discovery of her strangled body.

Grandmother Mrs Cosgrove, 65, was discovered by her daughter Lucy, 34, in the £700,000 four-bedroom house they shared in South Way, Carshalton Beeches, last Tuesday.

Speaking to the Sutton Guardian, John Cosgrove, 43, a commercial manager in the construction industry, said his mother was a “lovely, caring person”.

He said she was “devoted to her family” and along with her late husband Terence had taken custody of Lucy’s two boys after they moved in.

After her financial consultant husband hanged himself two years ago on a public footpath in Arundel, West Sussex, she kept herself occupied with her four children and seven grandchildren, he said.

But while friends and neighbours paid tribute to Mrs Cosgrove as a “wonderful, nurturing lady”, they described the family as having a troubled background.

One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “Terence was ready for retirement, but Lucy had problems.

“The grandchildren were going to be taken away from Lucy so they all had to stay at Terence and Maureen’s.

“It was too much for him to take and that is why he killed himself. It is a tragedy.”

Another neighbour said: “Maureen and Terence were both wonderful community people.

“It is a terribly tricky situation, it is a complicated family.”

Mrs Cosgrove, who helped out at nearby Seaton House School and St Philomenas, had two other children, Matthew, 36, who works for a software company and Carolyn, 41, a childminder.

She married her husband Terence in 1964 and he went on to become a volunteer director of hospital radio charity Radio Lollipop.

Mr Cosgrove said he was told the news of his mother’s death by his brother Matthew.

He confirmed his mother officially cared for Lucy’s children because his sister was “struggling”.

He said: “She looked after the children.

“At the time Lucy was struggling so she helped out.

“We just can’t understand what has happened, it still hasn’t sunk in.

“We are confident the police will eventually come up with an answer that as a family we are looking for.”

“She was a lovely caring person, was highly respected and did lots in the community. She will be sorely missed.”

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