Graham Tulloch
Drystone Lane, Nether Haddon, Gloucestershire, Cotswolds — autumn 2025
A small Cotswold village, population roughly 400. Honey-stone cottages, a Norman church, one pub (The Haddon Arms), a post office that doubles as a general store. Drystone Lane is an unlit single-track road running south from the village towards the B4068. It has a blind bend at a point where the verge drops away into a drainage ditch. The victim was a wealthy retired property developer who had made enemies in the village through aggressive planning applications.
Download PDFThe Victim
Graham Tulloch, age 62 — Retired property developer, former managing director of Tulloch-Howell Properties Ltd (dissolved 2019)
Blunt force trauma consistent with a vehicle impact at speed. Multiple fractures to the pelvis, ribs, and left femur. Fatal internal haemorrhage.
Discovered: Found at 6:15 a.m. on Saturday 15th November by Margaret Bevins, a local resident walking her dog. The body was in the drainage ditch beside Drystone Lane, approximately 200 metres south of the village, just past the blind bend. A walking stick was found broken on the road surface. No vehicle was present.
Time of death: Between 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Friday 14th November 2025
Suspects
Marcus Poole
Landlord of The Haddon Arms pub, Nether Haddon, age 38
Neighbour and adversary. Tulloch had submitted a planning application to convert the barn adjacent to the pub into holiday lets, which Poole argued would destroy the pub's beer garden and car park access.
Diane Farrow
Estate agent, based in Cirencester. Tulloch's ex-wife (divorced 2020)., age 55
Ex-wife. Married for 18 years. Bitter divorce. Recently discovered through a mutual acquaintance that Tulloch had hidden approximately Β£300,000 in assets during the divorce proceedings.
Caitlin Howell
Personal assistant to Graham Tulloch. Previously an events coordinator in Cheltenham., age 29
Employee and daughter of his late business partner. Has worked for Tulloch for four years. Generally regarded as devoted and loyal.
Who did it?
Evidence Dossier
π¬ Official Reports 3
Post-Mortem Examination Report
Deceased: Graham Arthur Tulloch, aged 62 years Date of Examination: 16th November 2025 Place of Examination: Gloucestershire Royal Hospital Mortuary Pathologist: Dr Faisal Mahmoud, FRCPath, Home Office Registered Forensic Pathologist
External Examination
The body is that of a well-built Caucasian male, height 181 cm, weight 89 kg. The deceased is wearing a dark green waxed jacket (Barbour), a checked flannel shirt, corduroy trousers, and brown leather walking boots. A flat cap was recovered from the road surface approximately four metres from the body.
Severe traumatic injuries to the left side. The left hip and thigh show massive contusion with underlying crepitus, consistent with fracture of the left femur and disruption of the pelvic ring. A distinct linear bruise pattern, approximately 12 cm wide, runs horizontally across the hip at a height of 52 cm from the sole of the foot. This height is consistent with the bumper of a standard passenger car.
The left forearm shows a compound fracture. Abrasions to the left palm and knees suggest ground contact following impact. A large laceration to the left temporal region, 8 cm in length, with underlying skull fracture.
Paint transfer: Fragments of silver metallic paint are embedded in the fibres of the waxed jacket at the primary impact site on the left hip. Additional fragments on the left trouser leg. Samples taken for analysis.
No defensive injuries. No signs of restraint or struggle before the impact.
Internal Examination
The pelvis is fractured in three places. The left femur is fractured mid-shaft. Ribs 8 through 11 on the left side are fractured. The spleen is ruptured with approximately 2.5 litres of free blood in the abdominal cavity. The skull fracture extends from the left temporal bone across the parietal bone with a small subdural haematoma, not in itself fatal.
The heart shows mild left ventricular hypertrophy consistent with treated hypertension. Coronary arteries show moderate atherosclerosis but no acute occlusion.
Stomach contents: partially digested food consistent with a light meal consumed two to three hours before death.
Blood alcohol: 0.02 g/dL (trace). No other drugs or substances detected.
Injury Pattern Analysis
The injuries are consistent with a pedestrian struck by the front of a motor vehicle. The primary impact at 52 cm is consistent with a standard car bumper. The severity suggests a speed at impact of 40 to 50 mph. The absence of braking-related injury patterns suggests the vehicle did not decelerate before impact.
The linear bruise pattern and paint transfer indicate a single, direct impact from a car bumper, not a glancing blow. The vehicle struck the victim squarely.
Cause of Death
1a. Internal haemorrhage 1b. Ruptured spleen and multiple fractures 1c. Pedestrian struck by motor vehicle
Opinion
Mr Tulloch died as a result of being struck by a motor vehicle while walking on Drystone Lane. The impact was at 40 to 50 mph with no evidence of braking. Silver metallic paint fragments have been submitted for analysis. The impact height (52 cm) is consistent with a standard passenger car, not a larger vehicle such as an SUV or van.
Dr Faisal Mahmoud, FRCPath 16th November 2025
Case Notes: Death of Graham Tulloch
Detective Sergeant Erin Walsh, Gloucestershire Constabulary, Major Crime Investigation Team Notes compiled 15th-18th November 2025
Called to Drystone Lane, Nether Haddon, at 6:40 a.m. on Saturday. Graham Tulloch, 62, retired property developer, found in a drainage ditch by a dog walker. Body temperature and rigor suggest death between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. on Friday. His walking stick was snapped in two on the road. His flat cap was four metres away.
The road is single-track, unlit, no CCTV. A blind bend with high hedgerows on both sides.
Initial thought: tragic accident. But the pathologist says the vehicle did not brake. Tyre marks on the road show acceleration, not braking. Someone drove into him at speed and kept going.
The Victim
Graham Tulloch. Wealthy. Lived alone at The Old Rectory. Former managing director of Tulloch-Howell Properties Ltd, dissolved 2019 after his business partner's death. Divorced 2020. One adult daughter, Sophie, in the village.
Not popular. He had submitted a planning application to convert a barn next to the village pub into holiday lets. He walked Drystone Lane every Friday evening between six and seven. Everyone in the village knew.
Persons of Interest
Marcus Poole, 38. Pub landlord.
The loudest grievance. The barn conversion would have taken the pub's car park and beer garden. Three weeks ago at a parish council meeting, Poole said: "Someone ought to run that man off the road." Exact words. Twelve witnesses.
His Land Rover Defender has fresh damage to the front bumper. He says he reversed into the gate post on Wednesday. The postman confirms this, but I want forensics to check properly.
Poole was behind the bar on Friday but admits stepping outside for a cigarette at about 6:15 p.m. for roughly ten minutes. Right in the window. He says he stood in the doorway. Two regulars say he was back by 6:23.
Motive, public threat, damaged vehicle, and a gap. Poole is my primary line.
Diane Farrow, 55. Ex-wife.
In the village visiting their daughter Sophie. Bitter divorce. Recently discovered Tulloch hid approximately Β£300,000 in assets during the proceedings. Text from 1st November: "I will make you pay for what you did to this family."
She drives a dark grey BMW. In fading light, that could look like any dark vehicle.
Alibi is strong. Phone location places her at Sophie's from 3:52 p.m. onwards. A neighbour's Ring doorbell shows her BMW stationary in Sophie's drive from 4:10 p.m. to 9:45 a.m. Saturday.
Alibi checks out, but the texts are venomous and the financial motive is real.
Caitlin Howell, 29. Personal assistant.
Daughter of Derek Howell, Tulloch's late business partner. Worked for Tulloch four years. Everyone describes her as devoted. She was at Tulloch's house on Friday afternoon, dropping off paperwork. Says she left at about half five and drove home to Cheltenham. Her flatmate was away. No corroboration. She was visibly distressed when I spoke to her.
She drives a silver Volkswagen Polo. Her phone was off between 5:35 and 7:20 p.m. She says the battery died.
No obvious motive. No grudge. Seems to be the one person who genuinely cared about the man.
Key Questions
- Poole's bumper. Gate post or pedestrian? Forensics to compare.
- Poole's cigarette break. Could he have driven to the bend and back in ten minutes?
- Farrow's texts. How far does financial anger go?
- The silver paint on the victim's clothing. Forensics will identify the make.
- Howell's phone gap. Probably a dead battery. Note it.
Poole is the strongest lead. Building the case around him.
DS E. Walsh Gloucestershire Constabulary, Major Crime Investigation Team 18th November 2025
Forensic Examination Report
Case: Death of Graham Tulloch, Drystone Lane, Nether Haddon Date of Examination: 15th-19th November 2025 Lead Forensic Officer: DS Michael Cartwright, Gloucestershire Constabulary Forensic Services Assisting: CSI Laura Payne
Scene Examination
Drystone Lane is a single-track unlit road running south from Nether Haddon to the B4068, approximately 800 metres. A blind bend occurs 200 metres south of the village where the hedgerow on the eastern side reaches 2.5 metres, limiting visibility to approximately 10 metres.
The body was in the drainage ditch on the western side, 3 metres past the apex of the bend.
Tyre marks: Fresh rubber marks on the road for 18 metres approaching the bend from the south, consistent with acceleration, not braking. The tread is consistent with 185/65 R15 tyres, a standard fitment for small hatchbacks. This size is not consistent with a Land Rover Defender (235/85 R16 or larger) or a BMW 3 Series (225/45 R18).
No glass fragments or vehicle debris at the scene.
Paint Fragment Analysis
Silver metallic paint from the deceased's jacket and trousers was identified as Volkswagen Group colour code LA7W (Reflex Silver Metallic). A three-coat system: primer, silver metallic basecoat, clear lacquer. Used on Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, and Skoda models 2014-2025.
Not consistent with:
- Marcus Poole's Land Rover Defender (VN17 HXR): factory "Fuji White."
- Diane Farrow's BMW 320d (DK21 LFP): factory "Mineral Grey Metallic" (BMW B39).
Caitlin Howell's 2019 Volkswagen Polo (CJ19 WNT) is factory Reflex Silver Metallic (LA7W). This vehicle matches the paint fragments.
Vehicle Examination: Poole's Land Rover
Front bumper dent on the nearside, approximately 15 cm wide. Green paint transfer matches the gate post at The Haddon Arms beer garden entrance, which shows corresponding white paint and a fresh impact mark.
No biological material, fabric fibre, or silver paint on the Land Rover. This vehicle was not involved.
Vehicle Examination: Howell's Volkswagen Polo
Examined 18th November. Recently washed. No visible damage, blood, or fabric traces.
Under ultraviolet light: faint cleaning chemical residue on the front bumper and lower nearside wing, consistent with a commercial jet wash. The nearside fog lamp surround shows a hairline crack. A single fibre caught in the crack was recovered for comparison with the deceased's clothing.
Tyres: Continental EcoContact 6, size 185/65 R15, consistent with the scene tread marks.
Phone Data
| Person | Phone Status, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday 14 Nov | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marcus Poole | Active. Cell tower: Nether Haddon. Continuous. | Consistent with remaining at the pub. |
| Diane Farrow | Active. Cell tower: Nether Haddon. Continuous from 3:52 p.m. | Alibi confirmed. |
| Caitlin Howell | Off from 5:35 p.m. to 7:20 p.m. Reconnected at 7:22 p.m. via Cheltenham cell tower. | No data during the murder window. |
Doorbell Camera: 3 Church Lane
A Ring doorbell opposite Sophie Tulloch's cottage recorded:
- 4:10 p.m.: Farrow's BMW parked in Sophie's drive.
- No movement of the BMW until 9:45 a.m. Saturday.
- 5:28 p.m.: Farrow walks south on foot.
- 5:41 p.m.: Farrow returns north carrying a bag.
Summary
- The vehicle accelerated into the bend. No braking.
- Paint on the deceased is Volkswagen Reflex Silver (LA7W), matching Howell's Polo. Does not match Poole's Land Rover or Farrow's BMW.
- Poole's bumper damage is from the gate post. His vehicle was not involved.
- Farrow's BMW did not move during the relevant period.
- Howell's phone was off for 1 hour 45 minutes during the murder window. Her car shows commercial washing residue and a cracked fog lamp surround with a fibre.
- Tyre size at the scene matches the Polo, not the Land Rover or BMW.
DS M. Cartwright Gloucestershire Constabulary Forensic Services 19th November 2025
π€ Witness Statements 3
Witness Statement: Diane Farrow
Taken at 14 Coxwell Drive, Cirencester, on the 16th day of November 2025, by Detective Constable J. Farrugia, Gloucestershire Constabulary.
I was married to Graham for eighteen years. I know what kind of man he was better than anyone, and I will not pretend to grieve for him. But I did not kill him.
We married in 2002. I was thirty and thought I had found someone solid. A builder, I thought. Someone who makes things. He was charming in those days. Generous, when it suited him. We had Sophie in 2004 and he was a decent enough father when she was small, though he was always away. The business grew. Tulloch-Howell Properties. Him and Derek Howell. They built housing estates, converted farmhouses, developed retail parks. By 2015 they were turning over three million a year.
The problems started when Derek died. Heart attack, 2020. Derek's daughter Caitlin was shattered. She had been close to her father. Graham stepped in, offered her a job as his PA. Generous of him, people said. I thought so too, at the time.
Graham and I divorced that same year. He said the marriage had run its course. What had actually run its course was his willingness to share anything. The settlement was handled by his solicitor, a man I now believe was complicit. I received the house in Cirencester and a lump sum. Graham kept everything else, including assets I did not know existed.
I found out six weeks ago. A friend who works in property saw a Land Registry entry for a flat in Cheltenham registered to a company called Tulloch Holdings Ltd. I had never heard of it. My solicitor made enquiries. There is a portfolio: the Cheltenham flat, a commercial unit in Stroud, a share in a holiday cottage in Cornwall. Roughly Β£300,000 in assets that should have been declared during the divorce. I instructed my solicitor to begin proceedings.
Yes, I sent him a text. On the first of November. I said I would make him pay for what he did to this family. I meant through the courts. I had a strong legal case. His death has actually complicated matters, not simplified them. I needed him alive to answer for the hidden assets. Dead, everything goes through probate and his solicitor will fight me at every stage.
On Friday I drove to Nether Haddon to see Sophie. I arrived at about four o'clock. Sophie and I cooked a chicken casserole and opened a bottle of wine. I did not leave her cottage all evening. My phone was with me. My car was in her drive.
At about half five I walked to the village shop to buy milk. The shop closes at six and I wanted to catch it. I walked along Church Lane to the High Street. I could see The Old Rectory from the junction. Caitlin Howell's silver car was parked outside. A little Volkswagen. I noticed it because I wondered why she was still there at that hour. She usually finishes by five on Fridays, or so Sophie has told me.
I bought the milk, walked back. I did not see Graham. I did not go near Drystone Lane. Sophie and I ate dinner, watched a film, and I went to bed in her spare room at about eleven.
I will tell you something about Caitlin Howell. She is a lovely girl and I feel sorry for her. She lost her father and then attached herself to the man who, in my view, contributed to his death. Derek Howell's share of the business was worth at least half a million and Graham extracted it from him over three years. Derek died with nothing. Caitlin does not seem to know this, or if she does, she has made her peace with it. She calls Graham "Mr T" and organises his dentist appointments and picks up his dry cleaning. I find it difficult to watch.
Statement reviewed and signed by Diane Farrow, 16th November 2025.
Witness Statement: Caitlin Howell
Taken at 22b Montpellier Terrace, Cheltenham, on the 16th day of November 2025, by Detective Constable J. Farrugia, Gloucestershire Constabulary.
I still cannot believe it. I keep picking up my phone to text him about something and then remembering.
Mr Tulloch gave me a job when I had nothing. My father died in March 2020, right at the start of lockdown. We could not even have a proper funeral. Twelve people in a crematorium car park, two metres apart, wearing masks. Dad had been ill for a while. His heart. The doctors said it was the stress. He had money problems towards the end, business things I never fully understood. He and Mr Tulloch had been partners for years but the company was wound up after Dad died.
Mr Tulloch rang me about six months later and said he needed someone to help with his paperwork. He was retired but he still had property interests, tenants, contractors, accounts. He offered me three days a week, flexible hours, good pay. I think he felt responsible for me, in a way. He had known me since I was a child. He came to my christening. There are photographs of him holding me as a baby.
He was not the easiest man. I know people in the village found him difficult. The business with the pub, the barn, the planning application. He could be stubborn. Once he had decided something, you could not shift him. But he was always kind to me. He remembered my birthday. He asked after my mother. When my car needed a service last year, he lent me his spare set of keys so I could use his Volvo for the week.
On Friday I went to The Old Rectory at about quarter to five. I had post to sort and a few invoices to file. Mr Tulloch was in the sitting room reading the paper. We talked for a few minutes. He mentioned he was looking forward to his walk. He always walked Drystone Lane on Friday evenings, between six and seven. Rain or shine. He said it cleared his head.
I finished the filing at about twenty past five. I said goodbye, packed up, and left. As I drove past the house, I could see his porch light was on. It must have been about half five. I remember thinking the evenings were getting so dark, the clocks having gone back. I turned south on Drystone Lane and picked up the B4068 towards Cheltenham.
My phone died somewhere on the A40. I did not notice until I got home and plugged it in. It is an old phone and the battery has been unreliable for months. It came back on at about twenty past seven. I had a quiet evening. My flatmate Jess was away visiting her parents in Cardiff, so I made pasta and watched something on the television. I cannot remember what.
I heard about Mr Tulloch on Saturday morning. Your colleague rang me at about nine. I could not speak for a while.
You asked about his relationships. He and Diane, his ex-wife, were not on good terms. I do not know the details but there were arguments about money. Sophie, their daughter, is lovely and was close to her father, though she found him frustrating. Marcus Poole at the pub had been very vocal about the barn. I heard about the parish council meeting. People in the village talked about it for days.
I do not know who could have done this. He walked that lane every Friday. Everyone knew. It was part of the village. You would see him heading out at six with his stick and his cap, and he would be back by seven, standing at his front door stamping the mud off his boots.
I am sorry. I am not being very helpful. I just keep thinking about him walking out there in the dark, alone, and nobody stopping.
Statement reviewed and signed by Caitlin Howell, 16th November 2025.
Witness Statement: Marcus Poole
Taken at The Haddon Arms, Nether Haddon, on the 15th day of November 2025, by Detective Constable J. Farrugia, Gloucestershire Constabulary.
Right. Fine. I know why you're here and I know what people are saying. Let me tell you what actually happened.
I've run this pub for eleven years. Bought it as a going concern in 2014, put everything I had into it. The Haddon Arms is the only pub in this village. It is the reason people move here, the reason they stay, the reason the cricket team exists and the darts league runs and the parish council has somewhere to argue every second Tuesday. Without this pub, Nether Haddon is just a collection of expensive houses with no heartbeat.
Graham Tulloch wanted to rip the heart out. He bought the barn next door in 2023 and submitted plans to convert it into four holiday lets. Serviced. With parking. The parking would have meant carving up the land between the barn and the pub, which is my car park and beer garden. I have a right of access but no ownership. He knew that. He bought the barn specifically because he knew that once the holiday lets went in, the pub would lose its outdoor space, its parking, half its trade. He did not care. He smiled when I asked him to reconsider. Actually smiled.
Yes, I said it at the parish council. "Someone ought to run that man off the road." It was a stupid thing to say. I was angry. I am angry. But I did not mean it literally and I did not do it. For God's sake, I said it in front of twelve people. If I was planning to murder the man, would I announce it at a public meeting?
The Land Rover. I reversed into the gate post on Wednesday afternoon. The post by the beer garden entrance. It is painted green and I have hit it before, twice, because the turning circle is tight and I am usually carrying crates when I do it. Ray Gerrard, the postman, was standing right there. He laughed and said I should get a smaller vehicle. There is green paint on my bumper from the post. You can check.
On Friday. I opened the bar at five. The usual crowd drifted in. Keith Saunders, Brian Leach, Janet Overton, the Mosely couple. I was behind the bar from five o'clock onward. I pulled pints, I served crisps, I changed a barrel of Hooky at about half five. At six o'clock, or just past, I saw Tulloch walk past the front window heading south towards the lane. He had his stick and his cap. He always walked that way on Fridays. I thought nothing of it.
At about quarter past six I went outside for a cigarette. I stood in the doorway, the front door, which faces the High Street, not Drystone Lane. The lane is 200 metres south. I could not see it from where I was standing. I smoked one cigarette, maybe eight minutes, came back in. Keith and Brian were at the bar. They will tell you I was back by half six at the latest.
I did not get in my Land Rover. I did not drive anywhere. I did not leave the pub premises. The keys to the Defender were hanging on the hook behind the bar where they always are.
Was I glad to hear he was dead? I will be honest with you. My first thought was that the planning application dies with him. I am not proud of that. But thinking it is not the same as doing it.
I did not kill Graham Tulloch. I said something idiotic at a meeting, I have a dented bumper, and I went outside for a smoke at an unfortunate time. That is the whole of it.
Statement reviewed and signed by Marcus Poole, 15th November 2025.
π Physical Evidence 4
Documentary Evidence
Four items recovered during the investigation into the death of Graham Tulloch and entered into evidence by DS E. Walsh, Gloucestershire Constabulary.
Item A: Text Messages between Diane Farrow and Graham Tulloch
Recovered from Mr Tulloch's mobile phone. Messages from 1st November 2025.
Farrow (09:14): I know about Tulloch Holdings Ltd. I know about the flat in Cheltenham and the unit in Stroud. My solicitor is already on it.
Tulloch (09:31): I don't know what you're talking about.
Farrow (09:33): Don't insult me, Graham. The Land Registry doesn't lie. You hid Β£300,000 from the court.
Tulloch (09:40): Those are business assets. Nothing to do with the divorce.
Farrow (09:42): You stole from me and from the children. I will make you pay for what you did to this family.
Tulloch (09:58): Do what you like, Diane. You won't get a penny.
Item B: Parish Council Minutes (extract)
Nether Haddon Village Hall, 24th October 2025. Planning application NH/2025/0347.
Mr Poole (landlord, The Haddon Arms) objected on grounds of loss of car parking, loss of beer garden amenity, and increased traffic. Mr Poole stated: "This application will kill the pub. Someone ought to run that man off the road before he ruins what's left of this village."
The Chair asked Mr Poole to moderate his language. Mrs Bevins seconded the objection. Seven further residents spoke against. None in favour. The Council resolved unanimously to submit a formal objection.
Item C: Car Wash Receipt
Provided by the Cotswold Car Wash, Stow-on-the-Wold.
Cotswold Car Wash High Street, Stow-on-the-Wold, GL54 1BN
Date: 14/11/2025 Time: 18:48 Service: Full Exterior Wash (Premium) Amount: Β£8.50 Payment: Contactless card ending 4471 Cardholder: C HOWELL
Automated wash. No operator present after 6:00 p.m.
Item D: Smart Home System Log, The Old Rectory
Downloaded from the Hive smart home hub on 17th November 2025 by CSI L. Payne.
Friday 14th November 2025:
07:12 / Heating activated (scheduled) 07:15 / Front door sensor: opened 07:16 / Front door sensor: closed 08:30 / Heating set to "away" (manual, via app) 14:22 / Heating set to "home" (manual, via app) 16:38 / Front door sensor: opened 16:39 / Front door sensor: closed 17:22 / Front door sensor: opened 17:23 / Front door sensor: closed 18:00 / Porch light: ON (daily timer, set to 18:00 year-round) 18:04 / Front door sensor: opened 18:04 / Front door sensor: closed
No further activity until police entry at 08:52 on Saturday 15th November.
Note from CSI Payne: The porch light timer has been set to 18:00 since the system was installed in April 2023. It has not been manually adjusted. The light activates at 6:00 p.m. every day regardless of sunset time.
All items entered into evidence 15th-19th November 2025. DS E. Walsh, Gloucestershire Constabulary
Newspaper Clipping
The Cotswold GazetteTuesday 18th November 2025
HIT-AND-RUN DEATH ON COUNTRY LANE: POLICE APPEAL FOR WITNESSES
Retired Developer Found Dead in Cotswold Village; Pub Landlord Questioned
A RETIRED property developer was killed in a suspected hit-and-run on an unlit country lane near his Cotswold home on Friday evening.
Graham Tulloch, 62, of The Old Rectory, Nether Haddon, was found in a roadside ditch on Drystone Lane at approximately 6:15 a.m. on Saturday by a local dog walker. He had been struck by a vehicle while taking his regular evening walk. No vehicle was present at the scene.
Gloucestershire Constabulary confirmed on Monday that the death is being treated as suspicious. DS Erin Walsh of the Major Crime Investigation Team said: "We are investigating the circumstances of this collision and we would like to hear from anyone who was travelling on Drystone Lane or the B4068 between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Friday 14th November."
The Gazette understands that police attention has focused on the landlord of The Haddon Arms, the village pub adjacent to a site where Mr Tulloch had submitted a contentious planning application. Marcus Poole, 38, had publicly clashed with Mr Tulloch over plans to convert a barn next to the pub into holiday accommodation. At a parish council meeting last month, Mr Poole told residents that "someone ought to run that man off the road." His Land Rover, parked at the pub, is understood to have damage to its front bumper.
Mr Poole has not been arrested. He declined to comment when approached by the Gazette.
Mr Tulloch was a well-known figure in the area. He was the former managing director of Tulloch-Howell Properties Ltd, a firm that developed residential and commercial projects across Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire before its dissolution in 2019. He retired to Nether Haddon in 2018.
His ex-wife, Diane Farrow, 55, an estate agent based in Cirencester, was also in the village on Friday evening. She was visiting her daughter, Sophie Tulloch, 21, who lives in the village. Mrs Farrow is not believed to be a suspect.
Mr Tulloch is survived by his daughter and his mother, Mrs Elizabeth Tulloch, of Bourton-on-the-Water.
Drystone Lane is a single-track road with no lighting and no speed restrictions. Residents have long campaigned for safety improvements at a blind bend 200 metres south of the village where the fatal collision is believed to have occurred.
Gloucestershire Constabulary has appealed for anyone with dashcam footage or information to contact the Major Crime Investigation Team on 101, quoting reference GC/2025/48731.
The Cotswold Gazette, 18th November 2025, page 3.
Scene Description: Nether Haddon and Drystone Lane
Prepared by CSI Laura Payne, 15th November 2025
Nether Haddon
A small Cotswold village of roughly 400 residents, 6 miles south of Stow-on-the-Wold. Honey-coloured limestone buildings. A Norman church, a village hall, a post office and general store on the High Street, and one pub (The Haddon Arms).
The High Street runs north to south. At its southern end it narrows and becomes Drystone Lane, which continues 800 metres to the B4068.
Key Locations
The Old Rectory: Tulloch's residence. A six-bedroom detached house on the northern edge of the village, set back from the High Street. The porch has an external light controlled by a smart home timer (activates at 6:00 p.m. daily).
The Haddon Arms: The village pub, on the High Street, approximately 100 metres south of The Old Rectory. Front door faces the High Street. Car park and beer garden to the rear. The gate post at the beer garden entrance shows recent impact damage.
Sophie Tulloch's cottage: 5 Church Lane, 150 metres east of the High Street. Number 3 Church Lane (the Whelan residence) is opposite, with a Ring doorbell camera covering Sophie's driveway.
The village shop: On the High Street between The Haddon Arms and Church Lane. Closes at 6:00 p.m.
Drystone Lane
Single-track, approximately 3 metres wide, compacted gravel and patched tarmac. No street lighting. No pavement. Drystone walls and hedgerows on both sides.
The blind bend: 200 metres south of the village. The hedgerow on the eastern side grows to 2.5 metres, limiting visibility to about 10 metres. The western side has a drainage ditch, 60 cm deep, running parallel to the road. The body was found in this ditch.
Distances and Travel Times
- The Old Rectory to The Haddon Arms: 100 metres (1-2 minutes on foot)
- The Haddon Arms to start of Drystone Lane: 80 metres
- Start of lane to blind bend: 200 metres (2-3 minutes on foot)
- Blind bend to B4068 junction: 600 metres
- B4068 junction to Stow-on-the-Wold: 6 miles (10-12 minutes by car)
A vehicle turning from the B4068 onto Drystone Lane would reach the blind bend in approximately 40 seconds at 40 mph.
Lighting Conditions
On 14th November 2025, sunset was at 4:18 p.m. Civil twilight ended at 4:55 p.m. By 6:00 p.m. the lane was in full darkness. There is no artificial lighting on Drystone Lane or at its B4068 junction.
CSI L. Payne Gloucestershire Constabulary Forensic Services 15th November 2025
Social Media Evidence
Compiled by DC J. Farrugia, Digital Media Unit, Gloucestershire Constabulary. 15th-19th November 2025.
Facebook: Nether Haddon Community Group (public)
Marcus Poole / 25th October 2025, 9:47 a.m.
If anyone missed the parish council meeting last night, here's the summary: Graham Tulloch wants to turn the barn into holiday lets and destroy the pub car park. Twelve residents objected. Zero supported it. If you haven't written to the planning department yet, please do. This is our village.
43 likes. 28 comments.
Sophie Tulloch (reply, 11:03 a.m.)
He's my dad. I know this is difficult but could we please keep the personal comments out of it? He's not a villain.
Marcus Poole (reply, 11:08 a.m.)
Sophie, I've got nothing against you. But that application will finish the pub and your dad knows it.
Instagram: @caitlin.howell (private account, recovered under court order)
Post / 7th November 2025 Photo: A view from a desk overlooking a garden. A mug of tea, a stack of papers.
Friday afternoon office vibes. Some people get corner offices with a view of the car park. I get a rectory garden and a robin on the windowsill. #FridayFeeling #Cotswolds
12 likes.
Post / 14th November 2025 (the day of the murder) Photo: Sunset through a car windscreen. Timestamp on photo metadata: 4:25 p.m.
Driving out to Nether Haddon. These November skies. #GoldenHour #Cotswolds
8 likes.
Comment from @jess_mccready (14th Nov, 7:43 p.m.)
Beautiful! Are you home yet? I left lasagne in the fridge x
Reply from @caitlin.howell (14th Nov, 7:58 p.m.)
Just got in! Phone died on the way home. Will heat it up now, you're a star x
Twitter/X: @MarcusAtTheHaddon
Post / 14th November 2025, 5:12 p.m.
Friday night at the Arms. Fire's lit, Hooky's on, kitchen's open till 9. #CotswoldPub #FridayNight
Post / 15th November 2025, 10:34 a.m.
The pub will be closed today. There has been a terrible incident in the village. Our thoughts are with the family.
Post / 16th November 2025, 2:17 p.m.
To everyone asking: yes, I have spoken to the police. No, I have not been arrested. I did not have anything to do with what happened to Graham Tulloch. Please stop messaging me threats.
74 retweets. 312 likes.
Facebook: Diane Farrow (personal, Friends Only)
Post / 28th October 2025, 8:16 p.m.
Sometimes the universe hands you exactly the information you need, exactly when you need it. Big changes coming. Watch this space.
Comment from Linda Farrow (28th Oct, 9:02 p.m.)
Everything OK, Di?
Reply from Diane Farrow (28th Oct, 9:11 p.m.)
More than OK. Getting what's owed to me, finally.
WhatsApp: "Howell Girls" (Caitlin Howell + Jessica McCready)
Recovered from Caitlin Howell's phone under court order.
Friday 14th November:
Jess (3:30 p.m.)
I'm off to Cardiff now, back Sunday night. Don't forget bins go out Monday x
Caitlin (3:34 p.m.)
Have a lovely time! I'm heading to NH now, should be home by 7ish
Caitlin (7:26 p.m.)
Home. Phone died on the way back, sorry for radio silence. Heating the lasagne now, you absolute legend
Jess (7:31 p.m.)
No worries! Glad you're back safe, the roads are pitch black out there tonight x
Facebook: Nether Haddon Community Group (public)
Margaret Bevins / 15th November 2025, 8:02 a.m.
I am sorry to tell you all that Graham Tulloch has died. I found him this morning on Drystone Lane. It looks like he was hit by a car. Please stay away from the lane.
62 reactions. 47 comments.
Sophie Tulloch (reply, 10:15 a.m.)
Thank you for posting this, Margaret. I can't say much at the moment. Please give our family some space.
All material entered into evidence 19th November 2025. DC J. Farrugia, Digital Media Unit
Caution: this cannot be undone