Failings led to woman's murder, says daughter

Patricia Holland met the perpetrator, Allan Scott, when he was selling paintings on Gorleston High Street

The "repeated indifference of so many agencies" led to an 83-year-old woman's murder, her daughter has said.

Patricia Holland was murdered by a homeless man, who she had offered accommodation, at her house in Gorleston-on-Sea in Norfolk in 2021.

A domestic homicide review into her death has set out 34 recommendations to agencies including police, local councils, government departments and a rehabilitation charity.

Mrs Holland's daughter Kathryn gave statements for the report, and said: "It might have been Allan who committed that appalling act that night in July, but that monster was empowered by the repeated indifference of so many agencies."

Allan Scott started lodging with Mrs Holland in August 2020 after they met when he was selling paintings outside a shop on Gorleston High Street.

The review said police knew Scott had a history of being violent and abusive during the 13 months he lived at Mrs Holland's home in Lowestoft Road.

It described the police as having a "lack of professional curiosity" throughout the case.

Several organisations involved with Mrs Holland and Scott failed to listen to her family's concerns, raised after their relationship became sexual, the report noted.

At Norwich Crown Court, the 42-year-old was given a life sentence with a minimum 35 years in custody.

'Meaningful change'

In her detailed statement, Kathryn continued: "Nothing good can come of this review if it does not involve a proper acknowledgement of the deep and catastrophic failings that led to my mum's murder.

"And they did lead to my mum's murder.

"By the repeated and doggedly determined failure to not see the risk that my mum was in, to put the pieces together, to look at the picture that was, by the time of her death, screamingly obvious.

"There is no way that I can ever come to terms with what happened to my mum that night. Not least because I will never actually know what happened to her.

"Ensuring that her death will bring about meaningful change is all I have."

Patricia Holland was described after her death as a charitable woman

The domestic homicide review anonymised all of the people referenced in the report, with Mrs Holland referred to as Doris.

The review was jointly commissioned by the Norfolk Community Safety Partnership (NCSP) and Norfolk Safeguarding Adults Board (NSAB), which represents a collection of public bodies.

NCSP chairman Mark Stokes said: "The learning from this review and the subsequent changes that have been made since Doris's death will safeguard victims in the future."

Natalie Cowland, of the NSAB, said the report had identified areas of improvement in safeguarding practices.

Patricia Holland was murdered at her home in Lowestoft Road

A spokesperson for Norfolk County Council said: "Just some of the changes we have already made include focusing on the importance of in-person visits and more detail on domestic abuse, including cuckooing, in training and making sure the voices of families and/or advocates are always heard."

Norfolk Police said it offered heartfelt condolences to everyone who knew Mrs Holland.

In a statement sent prior to the report's publication, a spokesperson said it delivered specialist domestic abuse training to all frontline officers and changed policies in how it shared information.

"Our conduct was examined by the Independent Office for Police Conduct that did not identify any misconduct on behalf of the constabulary," they added.

"It suggested an area of learning for us that we fully accept."

Allan Scott was given a life-sentence with a minimum 35 years in custody

In a joint statement, the Ministry of Justice and Home Office said: "Patricia's death is a heart-breaking tragedy and our thoughts remain with her family and friends."

"The scale of violence and abuse suffered by women and girls in this country is nothing less than a national emergency. "

They said the government had pledged to halve violence against women and girls in a decade and was speeding up the domestic homicide review process.

The James Paget University Hospital and Great Yarmouth Borough Council said they had no comment to add.

The NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board and Change Grow Live - also mentioned in the recommendations - have not responded.