A police officer from the identical drive which is below fireplace over its dealing with of the Nicola Bulley investigation has been accused of gross misconduct relating to an unrelated case.
The unnamed cop is the topic of a police watchdog investigation regarding the dealing with of home violence complaints made by 23-year-old mom Kiena Dawes earlier than she tragically took her personal life final July.
Ms Dawes’ household claimed she was ‘let down’ by Lancashire Police after reporting she was a sufferer of home violence and terrified of her ex accomplice.
She allegedly left a notice on her cellphone at a pal’s dwelling which learn: ‘I hope my life saves one other by police companies performing sooner,’ The Solar reported.
The police watchdog stated an officer from the drive now faces investigation as a result of a person was launched on bail after being arrested on suspicion of assaulting Ms Dawes simply 11 days earlier than she died.
The investigation is ongoing however the Unbiased Workplace for Police Conduct (IOPC) confirmed the unnamed officer has now been served discover and faces potential misconduct proceedings.
The unnamed cop is the topic of a police watchdog investigation regarding the dealing with of home violence complaints made by 23-year-old mom Kiena Dawes earlier than she tragically took her personal life final July
Ms Dawes’ household claimed she was ‘let down’ by Lancashire Police after reporting she was a sufferer of home violence and terrified of her ex accomplice
The officer is from the identical drive at the moment going through scrutiny over its dealing with of the investigation into Nicola Bulley’s disappearance, earlier than her physique was tragically discovered
An IOPC spokesperson stated: ‘Our investigation into prior contact between Lancashire Constabulary and Kiena Dawes, earlier than her loss of life on July 22, 2022 continues.
‘Now we have been trying on the police response when Ms Dawes was reported lacking, in addition to reviews that she had been the sufferer of assaults.
‘Having obtained and reviewed quite a few statements from witnesses, to grasp the character of the contact between officers and Miss Dawes, an officer has been served discover for gross misconduct in relation to their actions main as much as a person being launched on bail earlier in July final yr.
‘This doesn’t essentially imply that misconduct proceedings will comply with. Our ideas stay with Ms Dawes’ family members and all these affected by her loss of life.’
It comes after the drive confronted heavy criticism for the best way it dealt with the Nicola Bulley case in close by St Michael’s On Wyre, prompting requires an unbiased probe.
The drive had been slammed by critics for disclosing the character of Ms Bulley’s private struggles at a press convention, sparking accusations her privateness was breached in the course of the investigation.
Within the case of Ms Dawes, the 23-year-old was reported lacking after she left her nine-month-old daughter, Marnie, with an in depth pal and disappeared on July 22 final yr.
Her brother Kynan advised the publication: ‘They let down Kiena in life — and failed her in her final moments. She felt the police weren’t doing something to assist her regardless of numerous reviews of home violence.
‘Her attacker was always bailed and he or she ended up with nowhere to show. She misplaced hope… After we discovered her notice we knew it was a race towards time.’
Family members referred to as police and offered her automotive’s make and mannequin, in addition to the registration plate. Regardless of being a high-risk lacking particular person, Kynan says Lancashire Police weren’t fast sufficient to avoid wasting her.
‘They do not act fast sufficient. They by no means do. They weren’t . That was the longest 5 hours of my life however poor Nicola Bulley’s household needed to wait three weeks. That is brutal.’
The drive had been slammed by critics for disclosing the character of Ms Bulley’s private struggles at a press convention, sparking accusations her privateness was breached in the course of the investigation
Police from Lancashire Constabulary have confronted scrutiny over the Nicola Bulley investigation (pictured looking out the river financial institution on February 16)
The police had been conscious of the alleged assaults (Pictured: Kiena Dawes exhibits an obvious damage to her eye space)
Her physique was recovered from practice tracks close to the city of Garstang, Lancashire, as family and friends performed a frantic seek for her in close by streets and alleyways.
Lancashire Police confirmed a 28-year-old man from Fleetwood had been arrested on suspicion of assaulting her on July 11, days earlier than her suicide.
Regardless of the allegations of home abuse, the person was launched on bail pending additional enquiries and no costs had been introduced towards him.
Within the wake of her loss of life, Ms Dawes’ household revealed she had been dwelling in worry and claimed she repeatedly sought assist from police within the weeks resulting in her loss of life.
They revealed stunning photographs displaying her trying bloodied and bruised following an alleged assault which occurred after police had fitted panic alarms in her dwelling.
Lancashire Police later confirmed a compulsory referral had been made to the IOPC, which probed if if the drive acted sufficiently in response to reviews of violence.
The tragedy occurred simply 11 days after she was allegedly assaulted by a person who her household stated the police ought to have protected her from
Ms Dawes’ household say she was a sufferer of home abuse and suffered horrific accidents earlier than her loss of life
IOPC regional director Catherine Bates stated: ‘The loss of life of Kiena Dawes is a tragedy that has had a devastating influence on her household and mates. Our ideas stay along with her family members and all these affected.
‘Our unbiased investigation will assist set up the actions taken by police, each in response to reviews of violence and to find her as soon as she was reported lacking.
‘Now we have spoken to Ms Dawes’ household to elucidate our position and can hold them up to date on the progress of our investigation.’
Kynan stated the drive fitted her dwelling with a panic alarm however added this did not cease her attacker coming to her dwelling on July 11, the place he allegedly cut up her head open, leaving her ‘utterly traumatised’.
And he stated the police ought to have executed extra to assist her as she tried to carry her alleged attacker to court docket.
An IOPC spokesperson stated: ‘Our investigation into prior contact between Lancashire Constabulary and Kiena Dawes, earlier than her loss of life on July 22, 2022 continues’
He stated on the time: ‘The police have let my sister down, they’ve. She needed to undergo the authorized path to get justice.
‘The woman is useless now, nevertheless it ought to have gone to CPS ages in the past. She did not need to reside a life the best way she was dwelling, so she ended it.
‘They didn’t do sufficient. The pinnacle of CID goes to undergo every thing with a toothpick.
‘They will discover out why nothing occurred, and why it acquired to the purpose the place she felt she wasn’t being sorted by the service, which she needs to be, and determined to take her life.’
In the meantime, Lancashire Police has additionally referred itself to the watchdog over an interplay with Ms Bulley earlier than she vanished whereas additionally confirming it could conduct an inside evaluate.
The drive come below intense scrutiny over the dealing with of the search and the disclosure of Ms Bulley’s private struggles after she vanished from a riverside footpath in St Michael’s on Wyre.
There are fears an inside evaluate might develop into a case of ‘marking its personal homework’.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman stated: ‘We might count on the drive to be clear. That doesn’t preclude additional work on the finish of that.’
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