Conner Marshall: Family 'denied access' to killer's probation report

Conner Marshall, from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, died following an unprovoked attack

The family of a man murdered at a caravan park by a serial offender was refused access to details of the killer's probation monitoring for over a year, an inquest has heard.

Conner Marshall, 18, was beaten to death at Trecco Bay in Porthcawl in March 2015.

Killer David Braddon, who was 26 at the time, pleaded guilty to murder and is serving a life sentence.

Braddon was subject to two community orders at the time.

He had been convicted of two drug offences and assaulting a police officer, but probation staff were unaware he had previously been convicted of beating up a partner.

Nadine Marshall told the inquest in Pontypridd they were only told Braddon was under supervision five months after her son's death.

She said it took eight months of "pleading" with the Wales Community Rehabilitation Company to get a summary of the details of Braddon's case in April 2016, and was refused access to the full probation report.

David Braddon is serving a life sentence for murder

She and her husband went to the Ministry of Justice in London in the end to request the report and were again told they were not entitled to it, but the day after their visit they were told they would be allowed to see it after all.

However they did not receive a copy until November 2016, seven months later.

Assistant coroner Nadim Bashir said "too much reliance on self-reporting" had meant staff had not known of Braddon's prior conviction for battery in 2009.

Diagnosed with psychosis

Probation officer Katherine Oakley said she had been "overwhelmed with work" as there were often lots of people off sick and she had not carried out a risk assessment on Braddon.

"I was sometimes dealing with 15 to 20 cases a day. Because of this I didn't have time to carry out every risk assessment," she told the inquest.

Braddon had told Ms Oakley he was suffering from anxiety and depression and had been diagnosed with psychosis but had stopped taking his medication.

He had missed six rehabilitation appointments, but Ms Oakley said there would be a "substantial reason" to miss one.

"I'd usually require documentary evidence such as a doctor's note. If it was childcare issues, we'd rearrange appointments," she said.

"If he used that reason more than once. I would get suspicious and not accept it as a reason."

'Red mist'

Outlining the events leading to Mr Marshall's death, Mr Bashir said the attacker had taken a cocktail of drugs and alcohol, including cocaine and Valium.

He had been staying at the caravan park with his estranged partner and their children when a row erupted over an ex-boyfriend.

• Flashbacks of a murdered son

• Life sentence for caravan park killer

Braddon armed himself with a kitchen knife and said he was going to look for the ex-boyfriend and kill him, the coroner's court heard.

Mistaking Conner Marshall for that individual, Braddon launched a frenzied attack when "the red mist descended", he told police in interviews.

He admitted striking the teenager with a pole and repeatedly punching him, before stripping him naked to humiliate him.

Conner Marshall's mother Nadine has demanded answers following her son's murder

Addressing the inquest, the murder victim's mother Mrs Marshall described the past few years as going through "the depths of despair".

She said she missed the nightly text messages from her son telling her: "Nos da - caru chi" - Welsh for "Good night - love you".

Mrs Marshall, from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, said the whole family now felt anxious and nervous about the most simple daily tasks.

"I feel we failed to protect Conner, but giving your children as they grow up  independence is so important - but equally hard," she said.

The inquest is continuing.