'Police might have saved my sister from husband'

Taiwo Abodunde had dreamed of living in England her family said

The family of a woman beaten to death by her husband with a skateboard as police tried to enter the property, believe she might have been saved.

Taiwo Abodunde, 41, suffered catastrophic injuries during an attack by Olobunmi Abodunde, 48, at their Newmarket home in November 2023.

Her sister, Owoeye Labake Christianah, said the family believe she might still be alive had officers entered the home sooner.

Suffolk Police said it would be "inappropriate to comment while the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation was ongoing".

'Let down'

Three Suffolk police officers are under investigation for misconduct by the police watchdog.

Abodunde was sentenced to a minimum of 17 years in prison for his wife's murder earlier this month.

Police had been called to a domestic incident on 27 November, the day before Mrs Abodunde's death, for which her husband was arrested and bailed.

The next day officers returned for a pre-arranged appointment with her at 09:20 GMT and heard between 40 and 50 "thuds" but received no reply when they knocked at the door.

Officers were cleared by senior police officials to enter the property at 09:45, a court previously heard.

Ms Christianah said while the family was "grateful" for the justice system in the UK, they were "heartbroken" that officers did not enter the property sooner.

She said: "After the first hearing is when we got to know they [police] were present while it was all going on.

"Hearing that alone breaks our heart, to know that police, who had been put in place to help secure [the] life and property of people, were not able to do their job as expected.

"It breaks our hearts that if they had moved in she would have probably survived.

"We feel let down and unhappy about the whole thing."

• If you, or someone you know, has been affected by domestic abuse or violence, you can find details of support available on the BBC Action Line. If you are in immediate danger, you should phone 999.

Mrs Abodunde was attacked shortly after returning home

'Brutal killing'

Her sister said moving to England from Nigeria had been a "dream come true" for Mrs Abodunde. She said her family had hoped past domestic abuse within her marriage would stop.

Ms Christianah said her mother and four siblings have been left depressed after losing "a rare gem" in their sister.

She said: "My sister was a very loving person, very calm, she's a gentle person."

Her family said Mrs Abodunde had been considering separating from her husband, which they believe motivated him to kill her.

Ms Christianah said: "There has always been several cases of domestic violence while here in Nigeria but when they got the visa to migrate we felt it was going to be a new era.

"A new environment with laws and order, [they were] supposed to start life afresh.

"We never knew it would lead to that, such a a brutal killing," she added.

At sentencing, Abodunde's lawyer said he believed the medication he was taking led to him losing control.

Olobunmi Abodunde claimed medication caused him to lose control

Ms Christianah said her family hoped she would be "remembered as a cheerful person, always smiling".

An IOPC spokesperson confirmed its investigation into possible misconduct by three officers, two at the level of gross misconduct, following previous contact with Mrs Abodunde, was ongoing.

Police forced their way into the home after hearing a series of thuds

Sophie Francis-Cansfield, head of external affairs at Women’s Aid, said it was common for women killed by a partner or ex-partner to have had previous contact with police.

She said: “To prevent further horrific murders of women like Taiwo, the police need to invest in transforming their culture and understanding of domestic abuse, so that officers always respond robustly to perpetrators, and believe and protect survivors."

Work to end a "postcode lottery" for accessing domestic abuse services was also needed, she said.