Gracie Spinks inquest: Killer's behaviour was getting worse, police told

A woman killed by an "obsessed" former colleague had reported him to police because she was worried his behaviour was getting worse, an inquest heard.

Gracie Spinks was stabbed to death by Michael Sellers in Duckmanton, Derbyshire, four months after she contacted police.

Sellers, who had harassed multiple female colleagues before Miss Spinks, is then thought to have killed himself.

The 101 call made by Miss Spinks was played to the jury at her inquest.

'Worse and worse'

In the call, made on 4 February 2021, Miss Spinks said she did not want Sellers to be arrested, but she wanted a record to be made of his behaviour.

"I don't want him to be arrested or anything, but I just want something to be on file and to report this because my work have said that things have happened like this in the past and that this is the worst one that's happened," she said.

"They've said every time this has happened at work it's got worse and worse, and I'm just worried that the next time it happens to someone else it could be worse than just following me, and not leaving me alone. You know, he might kidnap someone."

Gracie Spinks, shown here with her father Richard Spinks, joined Xbite in April 2020

The inquest, at Chesterfield Coroner's Court, has heard Miss Spinks met Sellers when she started working at e-commerce firm Xbite in April 2020.

In the call to police, Miss Spinks explained she had been messaging Sellers and they had been "getting to know each other", but she had not wanted a relationship with him.

"I called it off because I didn't have no feelings for him and then he became obsessed with me and wouldn't leave me alone," she said.

She told police she had "blocked" Sellers so that he could not message her.

There was then an incident on 4 January 2021 where "he was sat waiting at my horse's field", and she said this had "scared me a lot".

'Weirder and weirder'

She explained she had told Xbite about this incident, Sellers had been investigated, suspended, and then "got the sack" but was appealing.

"I'm worried that because he has lost his job and he goes to the next place, my work can't tell them what's happened," she said.

"He has done it to other girls in the warehouse," she said, adding that his behaviour had "got weirder and weirder every time".

She also said she was worried about Sellers trying to find her again or turning up at her house.

Michael Sellers, who was 35, met Gracie Spinks when they worked together at Xbite

Although Miss Spinks had asked for Sellers not to be arrested, a police sergeant decided her report to 101 should be investigated.

An entry from the sergeant, which was recorded on a police system and read at the inquest, said: "I feel there is a real and immediate risk to her safety.

"It is not beyond the realms of comprehension that he also knows where she lives.

"Even though they have never been in an intimate relationship the suspect may very well feel spurned or worse."

Gracie was murdered after going to look after her horse Paddy at stables in Duckmanton on 18 June 2021

The investigation was then allocated to two police constables on 5 February 2021.

One of them, PC Sarah Parker, told the inquest she went see Miss Spinks at her home that evening and spoke to her for about 40 minutes.

She did not make a contemporaneous note of what Miss Spinks had told her.

However, in her crime report on 6 February 2021, she wrote that they had agreed "some words of advice might be the best way forward".

Ten days later, on 16 February 2021, PC Parker contacted Xbite to get Sellers' contact details, as Miss Spinks had blocked and deleted him from her phone.

PC Parker then met and spoke to Sellers in a car park on the morning of 18 February 2021, then closed the investigation later that day.

In her report, written that afternoon, she wrote: "I have seen Sellers today. He seemed to believe he was in a relationship with Miss Spinks.

"I told him this is not the case and told him not to contact her again."

Gracie Spinks had seen Michael Sellers waiting for her near to where she kept her horse

While giving her evidence, PC Parker was asked about this meeting by Narita Bahra KC, the barrister representing Ms Spinks's family.

"How long did you meet him with for?" asked Ms Bahra.

"About 10 or 20 minutes," PC Parker replied.

"Did you think it was appropriate, as the investigating officer, to speak to a potential perpetrator of harassment in a car park?" asked Ms Bahra.

"Yes," PC Parker replied.

'Low' risk

PC Parker said she switched on her body-worn camera to record the conversation with Sellers, but the footage no longer existed as it was deleted automatically after 30 days.

She said she had not been able to upload the footage before it was deleted, because she had been off work due to having Covid.

PC Parker said she had received no training on stalking from Derbyshire Police prior to Miss Spinks's murder on 18 June 2021.

She said that while she had not formally recorded a risk assessment, she had assessed the risk to Miss Spinks and decided it was "low".

The inquest continues.