Four Metropolitan Police officers are under investigation for misconduct after two women were murdered by a man they had complained about to the force.
Carl Cooper, 66, was jailed for life in July for the murders of Naomi Hunte, 41, who was stabbed in the chest, and Fiona Holm, 48, whose body has never been found.
Both women had been in a relationship with Cooper – who worked as a handyman – around a year apart and had complained to police about his violence.
On Wednesday, the Met Police confirmed four of its officers were under investigation for misconduct in relation to a complaint Ms Holm made against Cooper for assault in April 2023.
Cooper was not charged following the attack, despite being arrested, the force said.
Ms Holm, of south east London, is believed to have died around two months later on 20 June 2023.
A review into the management of Ms Holm’s complaint concluded a more thorough investigation could have identified key witnesses, who could have provided strong evidence for what was a victimless prosecution against Cooper.
The killer has never revealed the location of Ms Holm’s body, the Met said.
Ms Hunte was found stabbed to death on her sofa in south east London on Valentine’s Day in 2022.
During the trial for her murder, Woolwich Crown Court heard that she had made a number of domestic callouts to police to her home in 2020 and 2021 and told them Cooper was “obsessed” with her.
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During a police visit to her home on 29 June 2021, she told officers Cooper “stalks me and I’m really scared now”.
‘We made mistakes’
Apologising for failures by the force, Met Police Commander Paul Brogden said: “Our thoughts will always remain with Naomi Hunte and Fiona Holm, and we again extend our sincere condolences to their families as they continue to grieve for these two beloved women.
“We have always been clear that we made mistakes when dealing with allegations against Carl Cooper.
“For those mistakes, we are extremely sorry.”
He said it was a matter of “enduring regret” that the force did not have sufficient evidence to charge Cooper sooner for Ms Hunte’s murder, and, in the case of Ms Holm, will continue its inquiries to try to find her body so her family can lay her to rest.
Sentencing Cooper in July, Mr Justice Johnson told the killer he was sure he had been a “great danger to women” over the years and that he had a “history of acting in a controlling and coercive manner to your female partners”.