Police 'called several times before man's murder'

Police were contacted about an elderly man who was murdered by a woman living with him seven times in two years before he was found dead, an inquest has heard.

Barry Spooner, known to his family as Baz, was attacked by Sarah Hansford in May 2023, a then 44-year-old who befriended him, moved in with him and took his money to fund her drug habit.

She pleaded guilty to his murder in December and received a life sentence.

On Monday an inquest heard how police were called to numerous incidents at Mr Spooner's Nottingham address, including reports of threats of violence and theft in the year before his murder.

Hansford had been released on licence while serving a sentence for assaulting her grandfather - who she had extorted for money - when she met 74-year-old Mr Spooner.

One of the conditions of her licence was she was not allowed to contact her grandfather.

In 2023 Hansford stabbed Mr Spooner to death before dumping his body in the cellar of his home.

The veteran, who served in the Royal Signals Regiment for 12 years, was found by police nearly two weeks later under "cardboard" and "clutter" at the flat in Forest Fields.

The inquest heard Hansford was considered a "high risk of harm" to the public at the time of her release in 2020.

Despite that, when probation services became aware she had befriended Mr Spooner, no further action was taken.

Hansford was initially staying at an "approved premises" - a halfway house for offenders released on licence - but was asked to leave in December 2020, due to concerns she was not following rules and over issues with other residents.

She was staying at a different accommodation in April 2021 when probation services learned she had met Mr Spooner.

Giving evidence, head of East Midlands probation services Becky Bailey, said: "The [probation] practitioner did identify some concerns but there's nothing on the record to suggest any further action was done."

In July 2021, while still on licence, she told a practitioner she was "staying with an older bloke across the road from where she had been", even though she was still able to access the approved premises.

The court heard it was standard practice for the probation service that the accommodation of an offender on licence would to be assessed but Ms Bailey said "it doesn't seem that the formal assessment of the accommodation happened".

The inquest heard Nottinghamshire Police was called to or made aware of seven incidents involving Hansford in relation to Mr Spooner between May 2021 and May 2023.

Det Supt Paul Lefford said officers dealing with safeguarding documents in relation to Mr Spooner would have been aware Handford was an offender.

He detailed a number of incidents police responded to in court:

• 5 May 2021 -Mr Spooner flagged down an officer on duty attending another incident to say Hansford had stolen money from him. He said she had knocked on his door asking for money and he ended up withdrawing cash from a cash machine for her.
• 12 June 2021 - A police officer followed up with Mr Spooner about the previous incident but he said it was "misunderstanding and now no longer wanted police involvement".
• 27 August 2021 - It was reported to police by a neighbour of Mr Spooner that Hansford had knocked on their door asking for money and assaulted them. The neighbour directed police to Mr Spooner's address, having recognised she was staying there.
• September 2021 - Following the incident in August, police made a public protection notice (PPN) - a document police use and share to record safeguarding concerns about an individual - over concerns Mr Spooner was being exploited. This PPN was shared with Nottingham City Council.
• 17 October 2022 - Police were called to Mr Spooner's address, to reports of threats of violence and that an iPad had been stolen.
• September 2022 - Police were called to concerns that Mr Spooner's phone was taken. Officers attended and the phone was returned.
• 15 May 2023 - Mr Spooner attended a police station and told officers Hansford had been "taking money from him for a long time" but that he "didn't want to support a prosecution against her". Hansford was subsequently removed from the property along with her belongings. Another referral was made to the council via a PPN.
• Later in May 2023 Hansford murdered Mr Spooner.

The court heard in the days after Mr Spooner was murdered, on 2 June, two social workers from Nottingham City Council attended his home following a referral that was made to the authority by police in May.

Julie Sanderson, head of adult safeguarding and quality assurance at the council said Hansford had opened the door to the social workers.

"They were very concerned about Hansford's behaviour - she said she was away," Ms Sanderson said.

She added that in their notes shared with police, one of the social workers wrote "I think you should record Baz as a missing person but that's your call".

The court also heard the council was not made aware Hansford was an offender or of her risk to the public.

An earlier referral from the police had been forwarded to the council's modern slavery team in September 2021, but no further action came from that.

In statements read to the court by Mr Spooner's sister Valerie McMahon and his nephew Darren McMahon he was described as a "very mild mannered and timid" man.

The family said in a statement read by a family liaison officer: "The family wanted a criminal conviction for Hansford and that is what they got.

"They do not hold anyone else to blame.

"If mistakes were made they hope learning has come from so that his death isn't in vain."

Coroner Nathanael Hartley is due to conclude the inquest on Tuesday.

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