Jane Wiggett, 57 was strangled to death following 40 years of domestic abuse by her ex-husband.
The mother of two repeatedly reported him to police during their 30 years of marriage but her complaints fell on ‘deaf’ ears as police failed to stop him which eventually resulted in her refusing to call the police at all when the abuse took place.
David Spencer is now serving a minimum of 16 years of a life sentence, for beating and strangling his wife before hiding her body under the covers, where it lay undiscovered for 3 weeks.
A report by the Cheltenham Strategic Leadership Group shows how a number of agencies failed to take enough action following reports of Spencer’s abuse. It found that Jane’s death was predictable – if not preventable.
However, it was also stated that no single agency was to blame as they were not personally informed of an immediate threat on Jane’s life.
Detective Superintendent Simon Atkinson told the Mirror ”This poor lady suffered 40 years of abuse. From a police perspective its very disturbing and upsetting this went unnoticed.”
If you or someone you know is or has suffered from domestic abuse in the past tell them to check out Victim Support on Twitter for specialist support on the matter.
Specialist support is available to people who experience domestic abuse. Here's how we can help: https://t.co/u0nhXDJNLW#breaktheroutine pic.twitter.com/BVZTLDHg3W
— Victim Support (@VictimSupport) October 21, 2016