Hertfordshire Police officers ‘failed’ woman who was stabbed by ex-partner

Two police officers failed to properly deal with a 999 call from a woman whose partner tried to kill her a month later, a misconduct hearing heard.

PC Dominic Van Der Linden and former PC Mark Coleman of Hertfordshire Police deny gross misconduct.

They allegedly "failed to take positive action" after the man breached a non-molestation order in August 2021.

Barrister George Thomas said the ex-partner later "attempted to murder her" in a "frenzied" knife attack.

The hearing in Welwyn Garden City heard that the woman, known as Ms A, was granted the non-molestation order in 2020 after the man put his arm around her neck and threatened to kill her.

That came after years of reported abuse dating back to 2005.

The man had already been fined £600 for breaching that order in January 2021.

Opening the case, barrister Mr Thomas said the man had gone to her Watford home on 19 August 2021, again breaching the order.

Ms A had called 999 on 20 August, and then went to Watford police station on 21 August.

Her ex-partner was contacted by telephone by PC Coleman and agreed to abide by the conditions of the order and stay away.

Mr Thomas said: "The officers failed to deal at all properly with her complaint. No copy was made of the doorbell footage, they failed to take positive action, which would have been likely to arrest him and they failed to refer the matter to the domestic abuse unit.

"It ought to be obvious to both officers that to approach him informally by ringing him up was not going to be effective."

Mr Thomas alleged there had been a failure to take steps that could have prevented the subsequent attack.

"They knowingly misled supervisors about the doorbell footage and her willingness to make a complaint," he said.

The officers are said to have told a sergeant that Ms A wanted no further action to be taken, but Mr Thomas said she was adamant that she did support a police investigation and wanted him arrested.

"The response fell woefully short of the minimum standard," he said.

The tribunal heard PC Van Der Linden was the supervising officer and PC Coleman, who was five weeks into street duties, spoke to the husband.

Barrister Dominic Lewis, for PC Van Der Linden, said it was only PC Coleman who had spoken on the telephone to the man. He said PC Coleman had told him that the husband denied he was there.

Mark Coleman, who has left Hertfordshire police, has not attended the hearing. Both men deny gross misconduct.

The hearing is expected to last all week.