Michael Currer death: Inquiry clears Norfolk police officers

Officers were called to Michael Currer's flat three days before he was found dead

An investigation into how police handled a call to a man who was later found dead from multiple injuries has found no wrongdoing, says a force.

Police were called to Michael Currer's Norwich flat three days before he was discovered dead on 12 November 2016, but they did not go inside.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct referred the case back to Norfolk Police for investigation.

The force said the complaint had not been upheld.

An inquest this week concluded Mr Currer, 59, died as a result of unlawful killing.

Three people - two men and a woman in their 40s - were arrested and released as part of the inquiry and no-one has ever been charged.

'Outcome may have been different'

The dead man's partner Lorraine Firth said he had body and facial injuries when she visited the house on 9 November 2016.

Earlier that day he phoned police but the call was disconnected, resulting in officers visiting his flat on Saffron Square.

They were told through the closed door by Miss Firth and a man, believed to have been Mr Currer, that they were not needed.

Police were told they were no longer needed after being called to Saffron Square

At the inquest, Miss Firth said she had initially confessed to killing him, but retracted it saying she had been depressed when she made that claim.

Mr Currer's family asked PC Frank Jepson, the first officer on the scene, why he had not sought to speak to Mr Currer directly or demanded entry.

PC Jepson said: "We wanted that door open. But what we want and what the law allows are two different things.

"If someone doesn't want to come to their door we can't compel them."

Another officer told the inquest they had no evidence linking Miss Firth to the death.

Mr Currer's sister Karen Brian said: "As a family, we feel if you had tried a bit harder to ascertain the welfare of the people who were there, then the outcome may have been different."