Siblings of law student Emily Drouet who took own life can sue abuser

Lord Harrower gave permission for the brother and sister of Emily Drouet to seek damages at the Court of Session from Angus Milligan.

Milligan, a former Aberdeen University undergraduate, was given 180 hours community service by a sheriff in the city in July 2017.

He had pleaded guilty to assaulting Emily during a campaign of abuse. Milligan also sent offensive, indecent obscene and menacing texts.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Milligan turned up at her student halls of residence and choked her in a jealous rage.

She had arrived at Aberdeen University to begin her law degree only six months earlier.

Emily later took her own life.

In a written judgement published at the Court of Session on Wednesday, Lord Harrower allowed the compensation claim brought by the siblings against Milligan to proceed. It will come to court in the name of the children’s guardian, their mother Fiona.

However, Lord Harrower refused to allow actions brought against by Fiona, her husband Germain and Emily’s grandparents to proceed against Milligan to proceed.

This was because Lord Harrower found that these claims were time barred because of when they had been raised in court.

In the judgement, Lord Harrower complemented the way Mr Drouet gave evidence in court and said the family’s desire for justice could be sought through allowing Emily’s siblings to pursue an action.

He wrote: “Taking all the circumstances into account, in what I acknowledge is a finely balanced decision, I have come to the conclusion that there are insufficiently cogent grounds to allow the adult claims to proceed.

“In agreement with Mr Drouet, who was an impressive witness, the Drouets’ primary goal is to get ‘some form of justice for what Mr Milligan did to Emily’ and that this involves ‘showing that Angus Milligan caused her death’. “Whether or not that was truly the case is a question that will be determined in the children’s action, assuming it proceeds.”

Milligan, from Edinburgh attended three private schools in Edinburgh, including Fettes College. Students at Aberdeen described him as being an “alpha male”.

Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Milligan flew into a rage and assaulted Emily, who came from Glasgow, at the Hillhead halls of residence in March 2016.

The couple had started dating after meeting during their first semester at the university in 2015, but their relationship soured after Milligan was told his girlfriend had been unfaithful.

Milligan became angry and assaulted her at the halls, where both students had a room.

Eight days later, the 18-year-old, who was from Glasgow, took her own life in her bedroom - shortly after Milligan was seen visiting her.

Five other charges, including one alleging he attempted to choke her minutes before she killed herself, were dropped because of a lack of evidence.

Speaking after the court case, Emily’s parents, Fiona and Germain, said Milligan had 'preyed on Emily's innocence and kindness' and that their 'naive' daughter was subjected to weeks of verbal, physical and psychological abuse before she took her own life.

Mrs Drouet said: “Over the last year we have struggled to understand why our beloved daughter Emily is no longer with us. And for the last year Angus Milligan did all he could to deny us the truth.

“Angus Milligan has been unmasked as a vicious abuser who stole our daughter's life.

“Emily was studying law because she believed in justice and wanted to make a difference. Today marks her first legal victory.”

Emily’s family also branded Milligan 'an animal and a bully' who was guilty of “relentlessly abusing Emily, emotionally, verbally and physically until she could take no more”.

Fiona Drouet was awarded an MBE in May 2022 for the work her charity, EmilyTest, has done to combat gender based violence in colleges and universities.

She dedicated the award to Emily.