Probation officer admits: ‘I should have contacted the police’
INQUEST TOLD HE KNEW KILLER WAS FOLLOWING EX-PARTNER
A PROBATION officer admitted he should have called the police after finding out the convicted murderer he was managing was stalking a mum-of-six days before he killed her.
Andrew Victor, working for Nottinghamshire Probation at the time, did not notify the police or his manager when he found out the offender was following his expartner to work.
Simon Mellors, 56, of North Sherwood Street, was released back into the community on licence after beating and strangling to death his previous partner in 1999.
The conditions of his licence meant he had to divulge his past conviction to any future partners and any worrying behaviour could have meant a recall to prison.
He killed Janet Scott after he failed to accept his relationship with the Arnold mum-of-six was over.
Mr Victor was called to the stand at Nottingham Council House yesterday, during an eight-day inquest into the death of Mrs Scott, which is hearing evidence of the circumstances surrounding her death and how the probation service managed Mellors.
The inquest heard how Mr Victor allowed Mellors “regular nighttime” sleepovers at Mrs Scott’s Nursery Road home in Arnold despite no concrete evidence he had revealed his past to her.
He only had a text message from Mellors on May 16 confirming that he had made the admission, the inquest heard.
It was not until May 24 that he met Mrs Scott at his Nottingham probation office.
He told the court: “I remember having a series of text messages from him letting me know when he stopped (over) and arranged on May 9 that would be OK.”
He blamed “the volume of work” and that he now had an “opportunity to sit and reflect”.
Coroner Jonathan Straw said: “You don’t know whether Mellors’ has made any disclosure about his past offending.
“You are sanctioning him to stay at the address before it is disclosed and before you have spoken to Janet and [have] no knowledge of the circumstances.”
He responded: “Yes.”
Mr Victor had monthly meetings with Mellors - as well as phone and text conversations.
He had visited Mrs Scott’s home and declined permission for the pair to travel aboard together as well as for him move into her Nursery Road home just in case the relationship broke down.
He said “the intensity was clear at the start” as the pace of their relationship ramped up.
He handed Mrs Scott his work mobile and stated that if there were any problems or concerns to contact him.
She did, asking in August 2017: “Do you think he will re-offend? I need to know your opinion, it is my life too.”
He replied: “No, I don’t think he will.”
Mrs Scott decided to end the relationship just after Christmas 2017, the court heard. She had planned to get back with her estranged husband, Chris Scott.
Mrs Scott contacted probation on January 19 - only days before she was murdered - over concerns that Mellors had followed her four times, on two occasions to work.
Mr Victor told the court Mrs Scott had informed him “she did not feel at risk but felt uncomfortable” and he advised her to call the
police if she did feel at risk.
He said he contacted Mellors straight away and informed him to keep away from her and to discuss this at their next face to face meeting.
Coroner Mr Straw said: “Did you ever think it might be appropriate to change his risk assessment or involve other agencies and the police or inform them what you know?”
Mr Victor said: “I could have contacted the police. I could have initiated a recall. I could have told Mellors he would get an informed warning for his behaviour.
“At that time my assessment was of someone who has done a lot of work in custody. His compliance has always been perfect.”
When asked by the coroner, in hindsight, what should he have done?
He added: “I think I should have spoken to a manager and recorded that and I should have contacted the police at the very least to notify them about his behaviour.”
On January 29, 2018, Mellors stabbed Mrs Scott twice at her home in Nursery Road, Arnold, before driving her into the city centre. The court heard how she managed to flag down a council worker in North Sherwood Street, before Mellors drove his Volkswagen Golf into them both.
He instantly killed Mrs Scott and seriously injured the council worker.
He took his life in prison before the case went to court.
The inquest continues.
I think I should have spoken to a manager and I should have contacted the police.
Andrew Victor