Police contact with woman prior to her death - Metropolitan Police Service, October 2020

Metropolitan Police Service · Ref: 2020/144698

Recommendation date: 20 October 2021

Response due: 6 December 2021

Published: 5 January 2022

Welfare and vulnerable people

In September 2020, Metropolitan Police Service officers attended reports of a domestic incident between a husband and wife. Both of them made multiple allegations and there was evidence both parties had sustained injuries. Following a primary investigation, the wife was arrested and interviewed. The case was subsequently closed with no further action. On 31 October 2020, the Metropolitan Police Service attended the same address following a call from the husband. The wife was later pronounced dead and the husband was arrested for her murder. We obtained multiple witness statements from police officers and members of the public. Our investigation gathered evidence from police officers’ body worn video footage, criminal interview recordings, audio transmissions, call recordings, crime reports, custody and medical records along with experts’ reports. Our investigation concluded in May 2021. During our investigation there was no indication any police officer may have behaved in a manner that would justify …

View on IOPC website

Recommendations (2)

Recommendation 1 Accepted

Recommendation

1) The IOPC recommends the Metropolitan Police reminds officers of the following crime reporting requirements, importance, and responsibilities to:(i) record allegations of crime reported directly to them(ii) record counter allegations on separate crime reports. This follows an IOPC investigation following … Read more1) The IOPC recommends the Metropolitan Police reminds officers of the following crime reporting requirements, importance, and responsibilities to:(i) record allegations of crime reported directly to them(ii) record counter allegations on separate crime reports. This follows an IOPC investigation following the death of a female who had previously been arrested by the MPS following a domestic incident with her husband in September 2020. The MPS contact followed a call to police from a female who alleged a domestic incident with her husband. Following police attendance, she was arrested for assault offences against her husband and her daughter. However, the female informed both the officers of the primary investigation team and the OIC who subsequently interviewed her that her husband had assaulted her, and she had sustained injuries. Whilst this information was added to the Crime report this was together with the allegations against her and no further investigation was completed regarding her allegations. The charges against the female were subsequently dropped and within a month of this incident she was murdered by her husband.However the NCR states: ‘All reports of incidents, whether from victims, witnesses or third parties and whether crime related or not, will, unless immediately recorded as a crime, result in the registration of an auditable incident report by the police’. This is reflected in the MPS crime recording/crime outcomes policy which states; ‘All officers, staff and members of the extended police family must, if they receive information that suggests that a notifiable offence has been committed or alleged, ensure that a CRIS record is created in that regard.’A second report was never created to reflect the female’s allegations. During the IOPC investigation evidence suggested there appeared to be a belief that as all allegations were recorded on one crime report this was sufficient. Secondly a belief that for an allegation to be recorded by the police the female had to relay this to the ‘front desk’, as it was not appropriate for the officer who was investigating her a suspect to do so. Furthermore there is a suggestion that by failing to record the allegations from the female none of the requirements for treating her as a victim were completed, such as a DASH risk assessment for the female or putting the allegations to the alleged perpetrator. This could also prevent the MPS from obtaining an accurate picture about the relationship between the two and inhibit future management and risk assessments. Show less

Force Response

Recommendation accepted: The MPS accepts recommendation (i). The MPS Crime Recording and Crime Outcomes Policy contain mandatory crime recording rules for officers and staff, as drawn from the Home Office Counting Rules, and the National Crime Recording Standard. It includes … Read moreRecommendation accepted: The MPS accepts recommendation (i). The MPS Crime Recording and Crime Outcomes Policy contain mandatory crime recording rules for officers and staff, as drawn from the Home Office Counting Rules, and the National Crime Recording Standard. It includes directions on recording incidents and creating CRIS (crime recording database) reports, including information as to when crimes should be recorded and how they should be recorded in accordance with guidance and legislation. The MPS General Investigation Policy is a generic set of instructions which acts as a foundation to all investigations from the outset and complements the Crime Recording and Crime Outcomes Policy. Within the policy, officers are informed of the crime assessment principles: “In terms of investigating crime we will work from the basis that all crime reported to us will be investigated. This investigation commences at the first point of contact with the victim, whether that be face -to -face on the street or in a police station, online or over the telephone. It is therefore vital that information is recorded accurately and that we employ ‘professional curiosity’ to identify viable lines of enquiry in order to prove or disprove a person’s involvement in an offence.” An Operational Notice will be published on the MPS internal website within the next couple of weeks, reminding officers of their obligations to record allegations of crime reported directly to them, with reference made to pertinent sections of our current MPS policies. The MPS does not , however, agree with recommendation (ii) to record counter allegations on separate crime reports. The Home Office Counting Rules (HOCR), and the National Crime Recording Standards (NCRS) are clear that great care should be taken when taking the decision to record a counter/cross allegation, with each case being treated on its own merits. The HOCR state: “Very often, however, offenders claim that they were acting in self-defence and make counter allegations of assault. Great care should be taken before routinely recording such allegations as crime. For example, when the offender in a case of GBH or ABH makes a counter allegation of assault this should only be recorded as such if on the balance of probability the offence took place (in accordance with the NCRS). The absence of any evidence such as personal injury or independent witnesses may show that the allegation is false and care should be taken before recording as a crime. Each case should be treated on its own merits. It should be noted that any decision not to record such counter allegations as a crime should be recorded for disclosure purposes”. At the Strategic Crime and Incident Recording Group on 14th January 2022 this particular case was discussed and it was agreed that a separate allegation should have been recorded in this instance, but there was nothing that should be deemed as a counter/cross allegation. Having two crime reports live for one incident is likely to cause confusion and potentially lead to further risk, as all of the information is not collated in one place. The police have a duty to conduct a balanced and fair investigation, therefore if an alleged suspect does turn out to be the victim, a diligent investigation should identify this and it should be appropriately dealt with, with risk managed appropriately. Officers within the MPS will ensure that where a single crime report is used to further an investigation, they are clear about the labelling of involved parties as victims and suspects in order that the legally afforded rights and protections are made available at the earliest opportunity, and that the investigation progresses as it should, based upon these designations as victim/suspect. Current MPS policies cater for officers obligations in relation to crime recording. Show less

Recommendation 2 Accepted

Recommendation

The IOPC recommends that the MPS domestic abuse policy is updated to reflect the national College of Policing APP guidance which suggests when investigating a domestic incident where counter allegations are made risk assessments should be conducted for both parties. … Read more

Force Response

Recommendation accepted: The Metropolitan Police Service (“MPS”) has reviewed and accepts the recommendation by the IOPC. The new MPS Domestic Abuse Policy was implemented on 27th September 2021 and uses the College of Policing Authorised Professional Practice (APP) as the … Read more