Gracie Spinks inquest: PC thought bag of weapons could be stage props

A police officer did not have "serious concerns" about a bag of weapons found six weeks before a woman was murdered, an inquest has heard.

The bag - which contained three knives, an axe and a hammer - was found before Michael Sellers killed Gracie Spinks, 23.

PC Jill Lee-Liggett told an inquest, after looking at the items, she did not think they were related to a crime.

Sellers is thought to have killed himself after killing Miss Spinks.

Detectives believe Sellers, 35, killed his former work colleague while she was tending to her horse at Blue Lodge Farm in Duckmanton, Derbyshire, on 18 June 2021.

Weapons were found in a brown rucksack alongside Viagra tablets, a handwritten note saying "Don't lie" and a receipt from Marks & Spencer.

The jury previously heard the receipt belonged to Sellers' father, who he lived with.

The bag was discovered by a member of the public, Anna White, on a farm track near the stables on 6 May 2021.

Anna White reported the bag to police, saying she was particularly concerned about the note inside

After Ms White took the bag home and called the police, PC Lee-Liggett attended her address with PC Ashley Downing at about 19:00 BST that day.

PC Lee-Liggett, who has been with the force for six years, told the inquest she thought the contents of the bag were "bizarre" but she was not "seriously concerned" they could be linked to a crime.

She said she did not make any notes or save body-worn camera footage from the visit, and did not consider visiting the farm track, where the bag was found, which was five minutes away.

"When I unpacked the bag back at the station, my mind went to woodwork, theatrics, props, not murderous intent," she said.

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

The Derbyshire officer said she asked her sergeant about whether she should go to Marks & Spencer to check CCTV, but was told "Jill, why would you?"

"I said 'what do you think I should do with [the bag]?' He advised me to book the property in for destruction," she said.

PC Lee-Liggett confirmed no list of the contents of the bag was made at the station.

When asked if she would deal with the bag in the same way now, she began to cry.

"The way I investigate crimes is so different now because of this. Because of this, I am completely risk-averse," she said.

"I considered applying an investigative mindset to the bag and I was asked why I would do that. I was guided by my sergeant, and I did as I was told."

'Felt a fool'

Sgt Lee Richards, who worked at Derbyshire Police from 1992 until he retired in August last year, also gave evidence on Wednesday at the inquest.

He told PC Lee-Liggett and PC Downing to book the bag in as "lost and found" property, so the items could eventually be destroyed, rather than investigating further.

In his evidence, Mr Richards said he was "blindsided by previous experience" of policing in the rural area and assumed that the bag of weapons belonged to someone who had been chopping wood in the countryside.

He said, with hindsight, knowing what happened to Miss Spinks weeks after the bag was found, he felt a "fool" and said it could be said that he "got it wrong".

"When we've dealt with knives before, it's usually because it's on someone's person or in a house," he said.

"There was no obvious link to anything. Many knives have been handed in to police before and they get sent for destruction.

"At the time, it just looked like someone was out in the countryside. I didn't know why they left it, but I didn't see how it was a threat to anyone.

"It sounds so foolish when you listen to it now, I think I was blindsided by previous experience.

"Stabbings are quite rare in Derbyshire, it's the location, out in the countryside, not near where anyone lives.

"If it was on someone's doorstep, it would be different. It is hard to look back at knowing it was so wrong.

"The area is decent, things like this don't tend to happen, so maybe you get a bit blasé about it.

"At the time, they were the conclusions I came to, but now I feel a fool. I do."

The inquest continues.