Ellie Gould: Teen subjected to coercive control before death, review finds

Ellie attempted to fight off Griffiths after he attacked her with a kitchen knife at her home

A 17-year-old girl who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend after she ended their relationship was subjected to "coercive control" before her death, a review has found.

Thomas Griffiths tried to disrupt Ellie Gould's studies, a form of behaviour known as "educational sabotage", the Domestic Homicide Review ruled.

He admitted murder and was jailed for 12 and a half years in November 2019.

The independent review found no agency failings or shortcomings.

It said it was "alarming" how quickly their separation escalated to murder after she ended their relationship.

Thomas Griffiths was 17 when he killed Ellie in her family home

Ellie, a keen horse rider, attempted to fight off Griffiths after he attacked her with a kitchen knife at her family home in Calne, Wiltshire, in May 2019.

He later staged the scene to make it look like a suicide and returned to school.

The review stated: "In this case, the perpetrator appeared to be disrupting Ellie's studying during an important period of revision, displayed insecurities and appeared to be inducing guilt.

"Ellie sought a break from the perpetrator during their revision for mock A-level exams, but the perpetrator appeared not to accept this.

"His disruption of her studies thereafter should be seen within the context of educational sabotage."

It described educational sabotage as "a less known form of coercive control and economic abuse which disrupts a victim's ability to gain educational qualifications and furthers a perpetrator's power and control over them".

Ellie was murdered shortly after ending the relationship

It said Ellie would have been able to use "the full range of specialist domestic abuse services" within Wiltshire had she wanted or felt the need to.

The independent multi-agency report's recommendations included promoting the support available for young people in Wiltshire concerned about domestic abuse or controlling behaviour.

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Additional recommendations included further raising awareness of indicators of abuse in young people's relationships for agencies, as well as families and friends.

Assistant Chief Constable Mark Cooper, chairman of the Wiltshire Community Safety Partnership, said: "Tackling domestic abuse and violence, in all its forms, is every agency's responsibility and we will continue to work together to ensure we are doing all we can to support victims and educate everyone on this issue."

Ellie's friends have since campaigned for self-defence classes to be part of the school curriculum.