Claiming compensation from the police for failure to investigate.
Four Metropolitan police officers are currently under investigation for misconduct after two women were murdered by the same ex-partner within the space of 16 months.
In 2024, Carl Cooper was handed a life sentence with a 35 year minimum term for the murders of Naomi Hunte and Fiona Holm. Both women were ex-partners of Cooper and had previously reported his violent behaviour to the police. Naomi had called police on numerous occasions in 2020 and 2021, expressing her fear of Cooper prior to being stabbed to death in 2022.
Cooper was arrested on suspicion of Naomi’s murder, but he denied committing the offence and was bailed. Cooper later entered into a relationship with Fiona and in April 2023, Fiona reported Cooper for serious assault occasioning grievously bodily harm (GBH). However, Cooper was not charged with this offence. Approximately two months later, Fiona disappeared and has never been found, with Cooper refusing to release details of her whereabouts.
Since Fiona’s death, an enquiry has been conducted into her complaint about assault and it has been found that a more comprehensive investigation could have identified witnesses and possibly secured more substantial evidence for a charge against Cooper. The four police officers under investigation for misconduct played a role in the report of GBH by Fiona made in April 2023. A referral has been made to the IOPC and investigations are ongoing.
In March 2023, the Casey Review concluded that women are being failed by the Metropolitan police. It has been found that a total of 242 domestic abuse-related deaths were recorded between April 2022 and March 2023, including 80 intimate partner homicides. Furthermore, the National Domestic Homicide Project found that four in five suspects were already known to police.
Police officers are allowed to disclose information about a domestic abuser’s history if they fear for a new partner’s safety. But in a report this month, police inspectors found the Met is only making 3.3 disclosures per 100,000 people under the right to know scheme. That’s far below the national average of 17.5. Through this process, future partners of domestic violence perpetrators could be alerted to their new partner’s history. It is reported that Cooper had a history of alleged violence against women and was previously charged with the attempted murder of another former partner in 1999. It is unknown whether any disclosures were made to either Fiona or Naomi as to Cooper’s history.
Despite a high threshold, it is possible for a civil claim to be brought against the police force for failure to investigate where there has been serious system errors or operational failings. This is not the first occasion where the Metropolitan’s failings have led to victims of domestic abuse being murdered.
If you or a loved one would like guidance on claiming compensation on a No Win, No Fee basis for failure to investigate, please contact our free legal helpline for a case review.