A SCOTS-BASED artist murdered while looking after a luxury house in Sussex 'didn't have an enemy in the world', her neighbour has said.
Douglas Hunter, who runs the Buy Design gallery beside the workshop owned by Valerie Graves in Jedburgh, Borders, spoke of his shock yesterday at hearing of the 55-year-old's sudden death.
Police have launched an investigation after the body of the mother-of-two, who owned a cottage in the hamlet of Maxton, near Jedburgh, was found with a "significant head injury" on Monday at the £1.6 million property she was looking after in the village of Bosham.
She had been house-sitting with three family members over the Christmas period while the owners of the detached family house were away on holiday.
Mr Hunter said that his neighbour had been a dedicated and professional textile artist who was known for her skilled craftwork and good sense of humour.
He said: "I'm really taken aback by this and I can't imagine how it happened. She didn't have an enemy in the world.
"She came here a couple of years ago to run her workshop and was popular. She was an artist and was dedicated to her art.
"I didn't see her every day but we got along well and she was quite jolly. She had a whacky side. This has come as a real shock."
Ms Graves previously worked as a constructed textiles technician at London Metropolitan University, before coming to Scotland in 2003.
Her craft studio, Fin Taw, sits alongside Mr Hunter's gallery at the Harestanes Countryside Visitor Centre which houses several artist's workshops.
Her family released a statement yesterday saying that the textile worker had been a "free spirit who enjoyed her life".
Speaking publicly for the first time about their loss, Ms Graves' family said: "Val was a much loved daughter, sister, mum and nan, who will be sorely missed by the whole family.
"Val was a free spirit who enjoyed her life and was a talented artist, about to embark on a new path involving ceramics.
"She was an eternal student who was always hungry for a new challenge. She had recently moved back to Sussex from Scotland to be closer to her family and we were lucky enough to spend a family Christmas together.
"This has been a complete shock to the family."
She returned to England to care for her frail mother Eileen, 87, who was with her at the house along with her sister Janet, 60, and brother-in-law Nigel Acres, 59.
It is thought that the artist either got up during the night and was confronted by her killer while the rest of her family slept, or was murdered in her bed.
Her body was not discovered until 9.50am.
Detective Chief Inspector Jon Fanner said: "The post-mortem has revealed the cause of death but we are still keeping an open mind as to the motive."
The death has shocked the quiet seaside community of Bosham.
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