Investigation and inquest
On 03 May 2018 I commenced an investigation into the death of Angela Vanessa CRADDOCK aged 40. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 12 May 2023. The conclusion of the inquest was that: Angela Craddock was unlawfully killed when the offender remained unlawfully at large.
Circumstances of the death
On 3 April 2018 the offender was released from HMC Altcourse on a licence. The offender was subject to a licence condition to attend at the local community rehabilitation team upon release. There was also in place a Restraining Oder for the protection of Angela Craddock. When the offender failed to present himself the local rehabilitation team issued a recall to prison for breach of the licence condition. On 6 April 2018 a recall notice was authorised by the National Offender Management Service and sent to the police to enforce. Police resources were such, at that time, that no patrol was effectively deployed to locate him. The offender attended the address of Angela Craddock where he inflicted upon her survivable injuries. She died on 11 April 2018.
Coroner’s concerns
The offender had not been subject of any pre-sentence or post sentence review following conviction on 19 February 2018 for possession of a knife and a section 39 assault on Angela Craddock. The offender was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment and the Restraining order was granted for 12 months.
During the 39 days between conviction and release the offender phoned Angela Craddock on 160 occasions. Most of the calls did not connect. The offender also wrote several letters to Angela Craddock from prison in breach of the Restraining Order.
Details of the Restraining Order were sent to HMP Altcourse and on receipt a paper copy of the conditions were placed in an envelope to be delivered to the Public Protection Department. This was never received so the relevant staff were not aware of the Restraining Order.
Consequently, upon release on licence the community rehabilitation service were unaware of the breaches of the Restraining Order and were unable to include this information in the OASys risk assessment or the prison recall report and review, ultimately sent on to the police for the enforcement of the recall notice.