Failings by mental health services allowed a man to strangle his pregnant ex-girlfriend with cable ties, a new report says.
Isobel Parker, 23, was found dead in her Essex flat in 2015. She was with a new boyfriend and six months pregnant when she died.
Matthew Smith was found guilty of her murder the following year and sentenced to life with a minimum term of 18 years in years in jail.
A report from Maldon Community Safety Partnership’s Domestic Homicide Review details how Smith was treated for suicidal thoughts after Parker ended their relationship in 2014. The couple had two children, but Smith was reportedly not assessed to determine if he was a risk to the family.
There was no evidence of a history of domestic abuse between the couple, but the report notes that members of the Traveller community to which they both belonged are less likely to report such abuse than the wider population.
The report also states it was “clear [Smith] was suffering emotionally due to the end of the relationship” and also that he was “still suffering from the suicide of his father”.
The report is anonymised but according to the BBC, it refers to Smith and Parker.
Smith was seen by medical services in 2015 when he went to A&E with his mother and brother, complaining of suicidal thoughts.
He was discharged after an initial assessment but was never asked any questions that would assess his risk to his family.
Smith did not attend a follow-up appointment, possibly due to never receiving a letter informing him of it.
In a review of the case Smith said he felt “isolated” after leaving hospital and did not receive much support.
On the morning of the murder, Smith’s mother described him as “acting perfectly normally” before he made his way to Parker’s flat.
During the summing up at Smith’s trial, Judge Charles Gratwicke said it was “a brutal and merciless killing” but added: “The court is prepared to accept that you didn’t go there intending to kill her , but once you arrived there an argument started... which culminated in you attacking her and finally strangling her.”
Parker was buried with her unborn baby in her arms.
Detective Chief Inspector Martin Pasmore, who led the investigation, said at the time of the trial: “Smith could not accept that his relationship with Isobel was over after she had moved on to the extent that she was six months pregnant by a new partner.
“When Smith finally realised there was no chance of reconciliation, he strangled her with plastic cable ties, killing her and her unborn baby daughter.”
Then report makes a number of recommendations, primarily that NHS Foundation Trusts ensure people presenting themselves to medical services with suicidal thoughts are routinely assessed for the risk they pose to their families.
It also says more awareness of domestic abuse in the Traveller community is also needed.