Fool for love: 'I watched my brother disintegrate' (From Bicester Advertiser)

Fool for love: 'I watched my brother disintegrate'

9:00am Thursday 14th February 2013 in News By Joe Nimmo, Senior reporter. Call me on (01865) 425373.

DAVID Butler’s brother has described how his sibling “disintegrated” as he grew increasingly obsessed with Rachel Read.

Graham Butler, 74, lives in Banbury Road, Bicester, next door to his mother’s former home and took her in when she was made homeless.

He said: “He worshipped the ground his call girl escort walked on. At one point he even bought her an engagement ring and said they were going to be married.

“I think he became quite seriously mentally unbalanced, he needed some help.”

Graham’s wife Anne, 64, said: “He used to be very passionate about his music and he had some success as a teacher.

“But that all went, he lost interest in everything else.”

Mr Butler added: “There was just a complete deterioration of his character. He was a man who had deep cultural interests.

“And he seemed to disintegrate and lose interest in everything except drinking, gambling and sex.”

The couple became concerned in 2007 that David was taking out equity on his elderly mother’s house without asking permission.

Then the following year letters demanding unpaid council tax and utility bills started to appear.

Eventually they discovered that when he couldn’t borrow any more money, David sold his mother’s house to a property developer and rented it back.

Then in 2011, because of months of unpaid rent, Margaret Butler was finally evicted from her home.

Mr Butler said: “She came round and had no idea what was happening, she couldn’t take it in.

“Then a few days later she collapsed. The doctor said she was suffering from shock.”