Police blunders to blame for death of Scots hairdresser killed by her ex
THE family of a Scot murdered by her former lover have blamed police errors for her death after a report found officers took her mobile, leaving her ‘vulnerable to harm’.
Hairdresser Katrina O’Hara, 44, was stabbed to death in her salon in 2016 following a campaign of harassment by Stuart Thomas.
The attack came only days after officers had released the 49-year-old builder on bail for abducting his victim and threatening to kill her.
Yesterday, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) published its investigation into how the Dorset force had mishandled the run-up to the murder. The watchdog found police had failed properly to assess the risk Thomas posed or investigate complaints against him despite the O’Hara family calling for help in the weeks before the fatal attack.
On one occasion, mother-of-three Miss O’Hara and her daughter turned up at a police station to report harassment but found the building shut and nobody answering the doorbell. Officers later took her mobile phone as evidence but failed to issue her with a replacement, exposing her to additional risk.
All of those criticised in the report have kept their jobs, it has emerged.
Last night, Miss O’Hara’s children said they were ‘deeply upset by the failings identified’.
In a statement, Kyle Stark, 27, Dean Stark, 25 and Morgan O’Hara, 18, said: ‘For us, they highlight that our mother’s death could have been prevented and this only makes our grief even harder to bear.
‘Our faith in policing has been shaken to the core and, of course, we’re disappointed that Dorset Police haven’t taken stronger action against the officers involved.
‘But we’re speaking out not to criticise the police but to call for change in how all police forces and other agencies handle domestic abuse.
‘We’re victims of police cuts. Every force needs to have the funding to be able to deliver the right training to all officers and support staff, and to then assess how effective that training actually is, otherwise there will be more avoidable deaths.’ They added that their mother’s murder should act as ‘a wake-up call not to brush domestic violence under the carpet’.
Miss O’Hara – originally from Bangour, near Bathgate, West Lothian – had lived in Blandford Forum, Dorset, for 14 years.
She began a relationship with Thomas in 2015, not knowing he was married with four children, but he confessed and promised several times that he would leave his wife.
Police were first called to a bust-up between the pair at Thomas’s workplace in November 2015 but neither made a complaint.
Later that month, Miss O’Hara told police he had been harassing her and made an official complaint. Officers later responded to a voicemail message but the allegations she made were not properly followed up.
Basic checks would have revealed Thomas had previous convictions for violence and was already subject to a five-year restraining order.
On Boxing Day, Miss O’Hara awoke to find Thomas in her room having clambered in through a window. He abducted her and threatened to crash the car they were in.
The incident was reported by Kyle Stark on December 30 and Thomas was arrested, questioned and bailed on condition he did not approach his victim – but Miss O’Hara’s mobile phone was taken off her as part of the investigation.
Four other calls were made to police either side of that date, complaining of harassment, but none resulted in action against Thomas.
Miss O’Hara was murdered on January 7, 2016 in a ‘vicious and sustained’ knife attack at Jock’s Barbers, where she worked. Thomas was jailed for life.
Last night, the National Police Chiefs Council confirmed that, on the report’s recommendation, all UK forces would now ensure victims are given a replacement mobile if their own is taken to assist inquiries.
Dorset Police said two officers had been disciplined for misconduct and two for unsatisfactory performance.
‘This could have been prevented’