Four police officers under investigation after the murder of two women | United Kingdom | News

Four Metropolitan Police officers are being investigated for misconduct after two women were murdered by a man they had complained about to the police.

Carl Cooper, 66, was sentenced to life imprisonment in July for the murders of 41-year-old Naomi Hunte, who was stabbed in the chest, and 48-year-old Fiona Holm, whose body was never found. Both women had been in relationships with handyman Cooper about a year apart and had complained to police about his violence.

On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that four of its officers were being investigated for misconduct in connection with a complaint Ms Holm made against Cooper for assault in April 2023, as The Times newspaper first reported.

Despite his arrest following the attack, no charges have been filed against Cooper, police said.

Ms Holm, from south-east London, is believed to have died around two months later, on 20 June 2023. A review of the handling of Ms Holm’s complaint found that a more thorough investigation could have identified key witnesses who could have provided compelling evidence to support a victimless charge against Cooper.

During the murder trial, Woolwich Crown Court heard that Ms Hunte, who was found stabbed to death on her sofa in south-east London on Valentine’s Day 2022, made several police home visits in 2020 and 2021 and told them he was “obsessed” with her.

During a police call at her home on June 29, 2021, she told officers Cooper “is stalking her and I’m really scared now.” Police Chief Paul Brogden said: “Our thoughts will always be with Naomi Hunte and Fiona Holm and we again offer our sincere condolences to their families as they continue to mourn the loss of these two beloved women.

“We have always made it clear that we made mistakes in dealing with the allegations against Carl Cooper. We are extremely sorry for those mistakes.”

He continued: “These matters are currently the subject of multiple reviews by the Met’s Professional Standards Directorate. A senior officer from Lewisham met with Fiona’s family to discuss the review of the missing persons investigation and I would like to reiterate our direct and unequivocal apologies for the way they were treated when they reported her missing.”

“It is a matter of lasting regret that we did not have enough evidence to charge Cooper with Naomi’s murder earlier. Cooper has still not disclosed the location of Fiona’s body. We are continuing our investigation to find her so her family can finally lay her to rest.”

Sentencing Cooper in July, Judge Johnson told the killer he believed he had posed a “great danger to women” over the years and that he had been “controlling and violent towards his partners” in the past.

The four officers are being investigated in connection with Ms Hunte’s complaint of grievous bodily harm in April 2023. The matter has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which advised a local investigation, but the regulator will review its findings, the Met said.