Northampton violent offender 'not assessed' before murder, review finds

Chris Matthews (centre) with his sister Fleur (third from left) and brother Aaron (right) at a Northampton Town game

A risk-assessment was not carried out on an offender with a history of threatening people with knives before he stabbed his housemate to death, a safeguarding review has found.

Spencer Hobson attacked Chris Matthews, 42, at a house in Northampton for homeless people recovering from drink and drug problems on 21 June 2018.

The review found Hobson had been "a dangerous man and anyone was at risk of his violent behaviour".

Hobson was later jailed for life.

Mr Matthews and Hobson had been housemates in a property in Victoria Gardens, run by supported housing provider the Richmond Fellowship.

Spencer Hobson smoked crack cocaine after the killing before eventually handing himself in to Northamptonshire Police

His trial heard that on the night of the murder Hobson had been begging in Northampton, when he argued with a drunk Richmond Fellowship worker.

The court heard Mr Matthews had told the Richmond Fellowship how Hobson had previously punched him in the face, held a knife to his throat and kicked his door down.

The worker told Hobson she knew about Mr Matthews' complaints and to "enjoy being homeless".

Hobson went straight back home and killed Mr Matthews.

'Extensive criminal record'

The safeguarding review, carried out by the Northamptonshire Safeguarding Adults Board, said Mr Matthews had been "addicted to painkillers and developed an alcohol problem".

He moved into the house in Victoria Gardens in October 2017.

The review said Hobson, aged 50 at the time of the murder, "had a history of violent behaviour, domestic abuse and an extensive criminal record".

Mr Matthews' body was found at his home in Victoria Gardens, Northampton

Between 2016 and 2018, he had been involved in three separate incidents of "violence involving a bladed weapon".

The review said Mr Matthews and Hobson "were very dissimilar and presented with different needs" and there had been "warning signs that the relationship between the two men was deteriorating".

It added Mr Matthews "had confided in the street drinkers he associated with that he was scared of his housemate".

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The review found there were "a number of missed opportunities for multi-disciplinary meetings to discuss concerns regarding the perpetrator's risk to others" and that Hobson's misdemeanours "had been dealt with in isolation of each other".

It said the Richmond Fellowship considered "the perpetrator a risk only when involved in 'domestic' incidents, but in reality he was a dangerous man and anyone was at risk of his violent behaviour".

Chris Matthews was born in Northampton and ended up sleeping rough on its streets

The review said risk assessments had not been completed for either Hobson or Mr Matthews in respect of them being offered supported accommodation or their suitability to share a house.

The chairman of Northamptonshire Safeguarding Adults Board, Tim Bishop, said the review recommended Richmond Housing "ensures new risk assessments are conducted on new and existing residents".

A spokeswoman for The Richmond Fellowship said: "We've taken on board and have been implementing the recommendations of the report, which ensures new residents have an even more thorough risk assessment before being housed in the service."