This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Police closed the case of a 19-year-old woman who repeatedly reported her stalker before he murdered her, without an officer properly investigating her allegations, a disciplinary hearing has been told.

Shana Grice reported her ex-boyfriend Michael Lane to Sussex police five times in six months, but she was fined for wasting police time.

On 25 August 2016, Lane murdered Grice. He was jailed in 2017 for a minimum of 25 years.

An officer – known only as PC Mills in an attempt by lawyers to protect his privacy – was accused of gross misconduct after failing to adequately investigate allegations of harassment and stalking on two occasions just over a month before she died.

He denied the two allegations, but after deliberating, the disciplinary panel found them proven and said his actions may have contributed to Grice’s death.

The officer, who resigned from the force last week, did not attend the hearing and was not represented.

Grice had told Sussex police she was too scared to leave her house as a result of Lane’s stalking, the hearing in Lewes heard.

But days after her final call to police, she received a letter from the force saying the case was closed.

The force’s lawyer, Louise Ravenscroft, said Grice was “angry” and “could not believe they had dropped it”, according to her friends.

She added: “As a result, she never reported continuing complaints of stalking. Sussex police did not receive any further calls.”

Angela Stebbings and Emma King, housemates of Grice, told the force they believed she had been stalked every day.

On July 9 2016, Grice rang police after discovering Lane had stolen a key and crept into her bedroom while she slept.

He was arrested but, despite previous reports of stalking and harassment, Mills, as the investigating officer, did not review notes on the case before questioning him.

Mills, who had served since 2003, was an experienced officer in the investigations team and would interview suspects almost daily.

But he questioned Lane for only 12 minutes and did not ask him about past incidents, the disciplinary panel was told.

The day before, Mills attended an interview training course on stalking and harassment.

Ravenscroft said: “It should have been fresh in his mind.”

Lane was cautioned and warned to stay away from Grice.

During an interview with the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), Mills said another case had been his priority that day.

The officer also failed to respond when Grice told police on 12 July that Lane had been following her in his car while she drove to work.

Ravenscroft said: “Ms Grice never received a call back from anybody at Sussex police after her latest contact. PC Mills did not and no other officer contacted her.

“It is the force’s position that officers have a duty and responsibility to investigate fully all complaints, particularly complaints of domestic abuse and violence. He should have asked key questions.”

Mills told the IOPC he did not know why he had not called her back.

He claimed he contacted Lane, but records showed it was Lane who called to speak to him and they did not discuss the matter, the panel heard.

When questioned, Mills admitted he had been “alarmed” by some of Lane’s behaviour and said his failure to properly question him had been an oversight.

He said Lane’s story had seemed “plausible” and he had provided a “reasonable excuse” for his actions.

The hearing was told Mills said: “I thought it was just another domestic-related incident. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, at the time not knowing what he was going on to do.”

Ravenscroft said the officer failed to properly explain his actions and the decisions he made had a “devastating impact” on public confidence in Sussex police.

Chiew Yin Jones, the disciplinary panel chair, said Mills’ actions may have “ultimately contributed in the circumstances which contributed to the tragic death of Ms Grice”.

She added: “The former officer was not diligent in his duties. In his dealings with Ms Grice, the officer failed to recognise her vulnerability.”

Had he not resigned, the panel said he would have been dismissed from the force, which is the maximum penalty a misconduct hearing can impose. He will be barred from working as an officer again.

The family’s lawyer, Andrew Petherbridge of Hudgell Solicitors, said: “It is clearly the right decision. Unfortunately, it doesn’t change anything for Shana and is too little, too late.”