Murdered by lodger ... then fed to badgers
Pensioner killed just hours after police failed to act
A VIOLENT lodger killed a pensioner and fed him to badgers hours after police failed to act on a plea for help from the victim, an investigation revealed yesterday.
‘Safeguarding failures’ meant it took 11 days for officers to realise that Graham Snell may have come to harm – even though he had alerted them to his uninvited lodger Daniel Walsh who had a criminal record, a report by the police watchdog found.
Walsh, 31, was wanted for robbery and had been convicted of assaulting and stealing from his victim in the past.
Mr Snell walked into a police station on June 19, 2019, to report that Walsh had moved into his house without permission and was stealing money from him.
After giving Walsh’s details, the 71-year-old was told a constable would visit him the next day at his home in Chesterfield, Derbyshire. But by then, the former engineer had been murdered.
An hour after the constable left Mr Snell’s home that day after getting no answer at the door, Walsh was seen heading to a DIY store to buy hacksaws to cut up and dispose of his victim’s body.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said opportunities were missed as the inquiry officer treated Walsh’s alleged conduct as antisocial behaviour rather than a criminal offence.
This officer, of Derbyshire Police, resigned before misconduct proceedings could be brought.
The same force referred itself to the watchdog last month over its handling of a complaint of stalking by equestrian Gracie Spinks, 23, who was fatally stabbed in a paddock near Chesterfield. The man she complained about, Michael Sellers, 35, is believed to have killed her before killing himself.
Yesterday’s report found officers at Chesterfield Police Station realised the case remained open ten days after Mr Snell came in. A background check on Walsh was then run – but it took a further 26 hours to send a constable.
A trial last year heard how his body was chopped into ten pieces, with some stuffed down a badger sett. Walsh had convictions for assaulting Mr Snell in 2014. He was jailed for life in January. Steven Ashton, who is married to Mr Snell’s niece, said that the initial police response was an ‘absolute disgrace’.
Derrick Campbell, the IOPC’s regional director, said: ‘There were safeguarding failures and the opportunity to intervene... was missed.’ Derbyshire Police claimed ‘changes have been made to the force’s working practices’.