Four Metropolitan police officers are facing a misconduct investigation after two women were murdered by a man they both reported to the police for domestic abuse.
Carl Cooper, 66, is serving a life sentence for the murders of Naomi Hunte, 41, and Fiona Holm, 48, after his conviction earlier this year.
Both women had been in a relationship with Cooper about a year apart and had complained to police about his violent behaviour.
The Met confirmed four of its officers were under investigation for misconduct in relation to a complaint Holm made against Cooper for assault in April 2023, as first reported by the Time (paywall). Cooper was arrested but not charged after the attack, the force said.
Holm, of south-east London, is believed to have died about two months later in June 2023. Her body has never been found.
A review into the management of Holm’s complaint identified mistakes and concluded that a more thorough investigation could have identified key witnesses, who could have provided strong evidence for a prosecution against Cooper.
During the murder trial, Woolwich crown court heard Hunte, the first of his victims who was found stabbed to death on her sofa in south-east London on Valentine’s Day in 2022, had also made domestic callouts to police to her home in 2020 and 2021.
In a police callout to her home in June 2021, she told officers Cooper “stalks me and I’m really scared now”. Cooper was arrested on suspicion of murder but bailed when he denied wrongdoing. He then entered into a relationship with Holm.
The Met’s commander Paul Brogden said: “We have always been clear that we made mistakes when dealing with allegations against Carl Cooper. For those mistakes we are extremely sorry.”
He added: “These matters are currently the subject of several reviews led by the Met’s directorate of professional standards.
“A senior officer from Lewisham met with Fiona’s family to discuss the review of the missing person investigation and I would like to repeat our direct and unequivocal apology for the way they were treated when they reported her missing.
“It is a matter of enduring regret that we did not have sufficient evidence to charge Cooper sooner for the murder of Naomi.
“Cooper has still not revealed the location of Fiona’s body. We continue our enquiries to find her so that her family can finally lay her to rest.”
Sentencing Cooper in July, Mr Justice Johnson said he had been a “great danger to women” and had a “history of acting in controlling and coercive manner” to his female partners.
The four officers are being investigated in relation to Hunte’s April 2023 GBH complaint.
This was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which advised it should be a local investigation, but the watchdog will review its findings, the Met said.