"Naomi Hunte and Fiona Holm were killed by handyman Carl Cooper who had been in a relationship with each of them, about a year apart. The women had both told the Met about his violence before they died. Cooper was jailed for life in 2024 for stabbing Hunte, 41, and killing Holm, 48, whose body has never been found."
"During Cooper's murder trial, Woolwich Crown Court heard Hunte made a number of calls to police in 2020 and 2021 and told them Cooper was "obsessed" with her. Holm also made a complaint against Cooper for assault in April 2023. Cooper was arrested following the attack but not charged, the Met said."
"A review into the management of her complaint concluded "a more thorough investigation could have identified key witnesses, who could have provided strong evidence for a victimless prosecution against Cooper". Potential offences covered by the misconduct notices include the dismissal of a call about a reported murder that was dismissed as a hoax."
Naomi Hunte and Fiona Holm were killed by handyman Carl Cooper, who was jailed for life in 2024. Both women had reported Cooper's violence to the Met Police before their deaths. Hunte made multiple calls in 2020 and 2021 describing Cooper as obsessed with her. Holm filed an assault complaint in April 2023; Cooper was arrested but not charged, and she died approximately two months later. A review found that more thorough investigation could have identified witnesses for prosecution. The Independent Office for Police Conduct launched an investigation, resulting in misconduct notices against ten officers, including potential gross misconduct charges for some. Potential offences include dismissing a reported murder call as a hoax.
#police-misconduct #domestic-violence #murder-investigation #iopc-investigation #institutional-failure
Read at www.bbc.com
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