Graham Snell: Safeguarding failings before man dismembered by lodger

Graham Snell was killed by his uninvited lodger

Police missed opportunities to safeguard a man whose lodger killed him and tried to feed his body parts to badgers, an investigation has found.

Daniel Walsh was convicted of murdering Graham Snell, 71, who was found across Chesterfield in 2019 and 2020.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said chances were missed when Mr Snell told police he feared his uninvited lodger may harm him.

Derbyshire Police said changes had been made since the IOPC investigation.

Mr Snell is believed to have been killed on 20 June 2019 and parts of him were found down a badger sett, in a communal bin, and in woodland.

Walsh, who was jailed for stealing £5,000 from Mr Snell in 2009, claimed he "panicked" and cut up Mr Snell's body after finding him dead in his bathroom.

But the jury found him found guilty of murder in December and he was sentenced to a minimum of 27 years in prison in January.

The IOPC found checks on Walsh would have shown he was wanted for robbery

The IOPC investigated the police's contact with Mr Snell prior to his murder after the force referred itself to the watchdog in July 2019.

The probe found two officers who dealt with the case after Mr Snell went to Chesterfield Police Station on the last day he was seen alive - 19 June 2019 - to report Walsh, did not record an offence.

He had told them Walsh had been stealing from his bank account and staying at his home uninvited.

They also did not carry out checks which would have shown Walsh was wanted for robbery and had a history of violence, including violence towards Mr Snell.

The IOPC said safeguarding opportunities were missed as the inquiry officer at the station treated it as antisocial behaviour, although he did note verbal threats had allegedly been made by Walsh and Mr Snell feared he might be harmed.

The next day a police constable visited Mr Snell's home in Marsden Street to follow up but there was no answer.

The court heard Walsh had previously been jailed for stealing from his uncle and hitting him at his home

The IOPC said neither the inquiry officer and the police constable recorded an offence or carried out checks on Walsh.

The police constable was then "de-assigned" from the job and it remained on a "tasking list" but the IOPC found that due to a "systemic error" it was overlooked until it was randomly audited on 29 June.

It then took a further 26 hours to deploy officers, although the incident was graded as a priority following checks revealing Walsh's history.

A neighbour reported concern over not seeing Mr Snell for more than a week and Walsh was arrested on 30 June.

The IOPC said many of the problems the investigation found were "systemic" but the force agreed that the inquiry officer at the station and the police constable had a case to answer for misconduct.

The inquiry officer resigned during the investigation so no further action could be taken.

The police constable, who the IOPC say should have recorded the alleged theft, carried out intelligence checks prior to visiting Mr Snell's home on 20 June and considered him as vulnerable, will undergo "management action supported by a detailed performance plan" for the misconduct.

Another officer in a supervisory position has received further training in the management of incidents, although the IOPC found no case to answer for misconduct for their actions.

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Derrick Campbell, from the IOPC, said: "Our investigation indicates that individuals and the systems used by the force did not recognise or respond appropriately to the risks in this case.

"There were safeguarding failures and the opportunity to intervene promptly and effectively before Mr Snell was murdered was missed."

The IOPC made a number of "learning recommendations" to the force which it has accepted.

A Derbyshire Police spokesperson said: "We have already accepted the learning recommendations borne out of the IOPC's investigation, changes have been made to the force's working practices and additional training of officers and staff has taken place.

"We also note their findings published today and will be giving careful consideration to the same."