For years Lord Lucan had been making his ex-wife Veronica's life a living hell. Almost as soon as the couple separated in early 1973 he began his campaign to gain sole custody of their three children.
Ever since the birth of their eldest child, Lady Frances, Veronica had been battling chronic post-natal depression and had been prescribed medication.
Her husband's gambling issues, and the financial strain these placed on the relationship, meant that after a particularly difficult Christmas in 1972, Lord Lucan moved out of the family home in Belgravia and into his own flat nearby.
