Domestic abuse husband 'let down' before his murder Published duration 23 August 2018

image copyright Lancashire Police image caption David Edwards had a black eye at the couple's wedding

A solicitor who was abused and murdered by his violent wife was let down by authorities, a report has found.

Doctors failed to raise concerns about injuries to David Edwards, according to the domestic homicide review.

Mr Edwards, 51, was stabbed through the heart by his wife Sharon at their home Chorley, Lancashire, just weeks after their Las Vegas wedding in 2015.

Mark Brooks, of male abuse charity ManKind, said lessons must be learned to protect men from abusive partners.

"Those authorities who were in contact with him and suspected he was a victim should have called the police," said Mr Brooks, who was part of the review panel.

image copyright Lancashire Police image caption Sharon Edwards stabbed her husband with a kitchen knife two months after they got married

Mr Edwards' death, in August 2015, was the culmination of months of violence.

A Chorley Council domestic homicide review found two GPs had failed to ask the solicitor how he was injured, as did Chorley Hospital's A&E unit in July 2015.

He told a paramedic about the abuse but a failure to follow procedures meant the report was not escalated to managers.

A perception that men were not domestic abuse victims may have contributed to the situation, the report concluded.

image copyright Ross Parry image caption Sharon and David Edwards married in Las Vegas in June 2015

Gail Naylor, of Lancashire Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, said: "We have since reviewed our domestic abuse training to ensure our staff are aware that both men and women can be affected by this issue."

A spokesman for Chorley and South Ribble Clinical Commissioning Group said: "Safeguarding training has taken place with GPs with a focus on domestic abuse and male victimisation."

Edwards, 42, was sentenced to life for her husband's murder in March 2016.

Her trial heard she had frequently assaulted him, causing injuries including a broken collarbone, and had once bitten his nose and ear.