A health board has been criticised over the case of a nursing assistant who murdered a neighbour in a sexually motivated attack while under investigation for abusing three patients with learning disabilities.

Kris Wade had been suspended from work for three years after the allegations of sexual abuse when he murdered his neighbour, Christine James, at her flat on Cardiff Bay in south Wales.

An independent review has highlighted a string of concerns about the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University health board’s (ABMUHB) handling of the case.

It pointed out that Wade, who is the son of a former director of the health board, did not undergo a police records check before he moved from a job in IT to his role working with vulnerable adults.

The review from Healthcare Inspectorate Wales (HIW) concluded there was an “unacceptable delay” in recognising the first alleged attack on a resident as a safeguarding issue.

It also challenged a key conclusion made in an internal review that the health board could not have predicted or prevented the murder.

Wade murdered James in March 2016 when she rejected his advances after he had turned up at her flat with a suitcase containing sex toys. He was jailed for a minimum of 21 years.

The HIW reviews said Wade, whose father is a former clinical director of the health board’s learning disability directorate, was first employed at ABMUHB in its IT department, but in 2004 he began his job as a nursing assistant at an acute assessment and treatment unit (unit A) after it was suggested working with screens may have been contributing to his ill-health.

In December 2011, one of the residents of unit A made several allegations to staff that Wade had inappropriately touched and sexually assaulted her. Wade was placed on special leave but after a police investigation and disciplinary review it was decided that no further action would be taken and he returned to work at a second residential unit.

Two more residents came forward to allege that Wade had sexually assaulted them while they were at unit A. Wade was suspended – on pay – and again the police investigated and passed on details to the Crown Prosecution Service but it decided that he should not be charged. The health board began its own disciplinary process.

A dismissal letter was sent to Wade in April 2016 stating that the health board was terminating his employment for gross misconduct as, on the balance of probability, inappropriate behaviour had taken place.

But by this time Wade was on remand having been arrested for the murder of James.

HIW made 24 recommendations for improvement and said key findings included:

There was an unacceptable delay in recognising and reporting the first allegation as a safeguarding issue.

The redeployment of Wade to the learning disability directorate did not follow the health board’s redeployment policy.

No CRB or DBS checks were ever completed for Wade.

The conclusion by the internal review that Wade’s actions outside of his employment could not have been predicted or prevented was not evidence-based. There was no evidence to either support or refute this.

ABMUHB’s chief executive, Tracy Myhill, said: “Our hearts go out to the three women who were sexually assaulted by Kris Wade while they were under our care. We again apologise sincerely to them for his abhorrent actions, and continue to offer them any ongoing support they might need.

“We also extend our sympathies to the family of Mr Wade’s neighbour, whom he murdered while on long-term suspension from work.

“Much has changed since Mr Wade was first employed over 15 years ago. There are now much stricter recruitment and employment processes in place both at a local and national level. However we agree with HIW that even more can be done.”