PROBE IS LAUNCHED INTO KAY’S DEATH
A domestic homicide review has been launched by council chiefs following the death of a Sunderland woman Kay Martin – whose husband was at the centre of her murder probe.
Kay Michelle Martin, 49, and her husband Alan Matthew Martin were found dead at a home in Shrewsbury Crescent, Humbledon, on the evening of Thursday, September 20.
Police had been called to the home after receiving a report of concern for a woman at around 8.30pm.
Northumbria Police launched a murder investigation into Kay’s death.
Detectives said there was no third-party involvement in Alan’s death and at an inquest opening a coroner said he appeared to have killed himself.
Now Sunderland City Council is preparing a domestic homicide review which looks into deaths which resulted from violence, abuse or neglect.
Family members of Kay, whose maiden name was Richardson, attended the preinquest review yesterday at Sunderland Coroner’s Court at Sunderland’s Civic Centre.
Sunderland’s senior coroner Derek Winter adjourned the inquest into Kay’s death until Monday, July 15.
He said the only document he has been able to share with the family so far is of the post-mortem examination, which was carried out on September 22.
The coroner’s office is awaiting further documents mainly a report by an independent officer of police conduct which is due to arrive in the next six to eight weeks.
He said: “There is also a domestic homicide review that the local authority is preparing.
“It won’t be finalised until after the inquest, that too will help me decide the direction of travel with the inquiry that will be undertaken.”
A spokesman for Sunderland City Council has confirmed the domestic homicide review is being carried out by the Safer Sunderland Partnership.
A domestic homicide review is carried out when the circumstances in which the death of a person aged 16 or over has or appears to have resulted from violence, abuse or neglect by a person whom he/she was related or had been in an intimate personal relationship, or a member of the same household.
Domestic Homicide Reviews are multi-agency reviews and are carried out to make sure lessons are learned regarding the way in which local professionals and organisations work individually and together to safeguard victims.
Their purpose is not to reinvestigate the death or apportion blame.
At the pre-inquest review, Kay’s family also raised concerns that they did not want a inquest into both Kay and Alan’s death to be held together. Alan was at the centre of a murder probe surrounding Kay’s death
A pre-inquest review into the death of the 53-year-old, from Gardiner Square, Grindon, was being held today.
At the inquest opening on September 27 last year, Mr Winter said: “Mr Martin appeared to have killed himself but formal cause of death is yet to be confirmed.”