I pleaded with my mother's Turkish 'gardener lover' not to kill her, says Catherine Anne Bury's son

The villa in the resort of Dalyan, Turkey, where the shooting took place (EPA)

The family of a British woman shot dead in Turkey said today that they “cannot comprehend the mentality” of the man who killed her and injured her son and mother.

Anne Bury, 56, of Swainby, north Yorkshire, was fatally shot at her villa in the resort of Dalyan on Monday.

Her son, Alex, remains in a Turkish hospital with gunshot wounds to his leg. Ms Bury’s mother, Cecilia Bury, who is in her eighties and from Middlesbrough, was also injured but has since been discharged from hospital.

A 46-year-old man, understood to be the family’s gardener, has appeared in court and been detained in prison. Alex Bury has described how he pleaded with the gunman to stop the attack, trying to reason with him before he opened fire.

The family said in a statement today: “Although [we] are still deeply shocked and grieving for Anne, we are pleased to say that both Anne’s mother and son are recovering from their injuries and have both been given wonderful care, treatment and support by hospital and consulate staff and many other local people.

“We cannot comprehend the mentality of somebody who would do this to three lovely people who would never harm anybody.”