Notts Police Criticised

18 October 2011, 12:21 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Nottinghamshire Police have been criticised for the way they dealt with a domestic violence case in which a mum was beaten to death in front of her daughter.

Casey Brittle was attacked 11 times before she was murdered by her ex partner last year.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission [IPCC] says officers failed to take "positive action" before the 21-year-old was killed by Sanchez Williams in Nottingham on Sunday 3 October.

Williams was jailed for a minimum of 20 years.

Amerdeep Somal, a commissioner at the IPPC, said:

"In this case it is clear that a number of officers failed to perform to the level expected of them and basic actions, that may have helped others see the full picture of her suffering, were not completed"

Ms Brittle died from a series of injuries to her head, including a fractured jaw, cuts and bruising.

Apology

The Assistant Chief Constable of Nottinghamshire Police Paul Broadbent said he deeply regretted Casey's death and the circumstances surrounding it.

He said:

"There had been a history of domestic violence and abuse in Casey's life involving Williams.

"Whilst awaiting the IPCC's report, we took steps to completely revise our approach towards responding to, and identifying, incidents of domestic violence and abuse. This involved an overhaul of working practices, specifically in relation to the identification and management of the risks faced by victims."

"We will never know, as the IPCC report sets out, whether we could have saved Casey's life had we taken a different approach to those 11 incidents involving Casey and her violent partner.

"What is certain, however, is that we could and should have done more. That is a cause of deep and lasting regret and I have formally apologised to Casey's mother."

Training Video

Casey's mum, Victoria Blower, agreed to appear in a training film to make her own appeals to officers about how better the police can support people who are trapped in violent relationships.

The film explains the impact Casey's death had on her, her family, and on Casey's daughter Sharay, now aged 3, for whom Casey's mother is now caring.

Six officers, who were involved in responding to three of those previous incidents in which Casey was attacked, appeared before a misconduct meeting and admitted their individual failings.