Rachael Slack Inquest

[PrivateDerby]

Been in the news a lot today following a very upsetting inquest. 

 

Here's the story - 

 

Police failings in part led to the killing of a mother and son by her ex-partner, an inquest jury has ruled.

 

Andrew Cairns, 44, stabbed Rachael Slack, 38, and their 23-month-old son Auden on 2 June 2010 at her home in Holbrook, Derbyshire.

 

The jury found police failure to impress on Ms Slack the danger she and Auden faced "more than minimally contributed" to their deaths.

 

Ms Slack and Auden were unlawfully killed and Cairns took his own life.

 

Coroner Dr Robert Hunter said he would be writing to the Home Secretary to raise issues over the powers police have to detain suspects in cases concerning violent or sexual incidents, national training standards in domestic violence for police, electronic document sharing and mutual disclosure of information.

 

Police had assessed Ms Slack to be at at risk but it emerged during the five-week inquest at Derbyshire Coroner's Court that they were unclear if she had been warned.

 

The inquest heard Andrew Cairns had a long history of mental health problems.

 

In the weeks running up to the attack he had been detained under the Mental Health Act, assessed and released.

 

'More vigilant'

 

The jury heard he had also been arrested for making threats to kill Ms Slack, and was later bailed.

 

They were also told that following his contact with Derbyshire Constabulary, Ms Slack and Auden were deemed as being at high risk of homicide but police officers failed to properly impart that to Ms Slack.

 

On the morning of 2 June, Cairns went to his GP and seemed agitated.

 

When he left the surgery, he went to Ms Slack's home. A neighbour reported hearing screams coming from the house.

 

Post-mortem examination results showed Ms Slack had been stabbed 32 times in the chest and back.

 

Cairns had 18 stab wounds to his abdomen and chest and the inquest heard Auden, who had been stabbed 16 times, died from multiple wounds to his chest and abdomen.

 

Ms Slack was pregnant at the time of her death and in a relationship with Robert Barlow.

Violence 'epidemic'

 

He said: "Knowing that Rachael was a high risk of homicide means that we could have adjusted our lives to be a lot more vigilant.

 

"I think it's a key point that we definitely needed to know. I do in the long term think it would have made a difference, without a shadow of a doubt."

 

Hayden and Melony Slack, Rachael Slack's brother and sister-in-law, said: "The space that has been left in our lives by the tragic loss of Rachael and Auden will never be filled and never should be.

 

"Rachael was a devoted mother, a beautiful and truly caring person with a positive outlook on life.

 

"We hope that the jury's findings that the police failings contributed to the deaths of Rachael and Auden, and the various reports to be made by the coroner, will ensure that lessons are learned that could protect the lives of other women and children threatened by domestic violence - a problem the coroner described as an 'epidemic'."

 

Care failure

In a statement Derbyshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Karl Smethem said: "I am confident that Derbyshire Constabulary's policies and procedures for the investigation of domestic violence incidents, and for the protection of victims, met national guidelines in 2010.

 

"From the evidence it is clear that Rachael's report of Andrew Cairns' verbal threat to kill was taken very seriously by the police.

 

"We were actively investigating the threat, with a view to charging him, and we did take steps to ensure that Rachael and Auden's home was secure."

 

In a statement, the family of Andrew Cairns said mental health services failed to keep proper records or co-ordinate his care.

[PrivateDerby]

It's happened so many times, don't mean in Derbyshire but nationwide... I'm sure the police were more understanding of mental health and the serious consequences years ago? 

 

Feel for everyone, just seen her partner on the news now.

 

Same for her ex aswell, despite what he did, how much warning does a man need to give FFS?! There's almost always a cry for help in cases like this, could be years prior but people need to start f*cking acting when they hear it, whether they be teachers, doctors, social services, friends, police etc. 

 

Shape up.

 

Not knocking the offender/murderer or mental health, it happens, just need to nip it early.

 

Horrendous incident.

[PrivateDerby]

Sorry, what it doesn't say in that BBC article is that prior to murdering his ex and son he rang up his social worker/mental health worker and told them how he was feeling and what he was thinking, he then rang his doctor and did the same! 

[BondJovi]

The human mind is not something to take lightly. Even if it is just a cry for attention or something like that, it needs looking at. The sad thing is(as far as I know), the number of mental health issues are rising(certainly in children), is that more awareness or a more stressed and pushed nation?

 

In this case, there is not a guarantee the events could have been prevented had he been given more help. I do think mental health needs to be given a swifter response, the longer it gets left, the harder it is to repair. The saddest thing is when someone wants help, when they recognise they need support, but it doesn't happen.

[PrivateDerby]

Agree, it annoys me how the 136 suite is used as a convenience sometimes, you know, I know that sometimes people work themselves up into such a state that an over night stay is ideal and they're fine to go back out into the **** next day. But why are professionals deeming people like this safe when they make such real cries for help? They're not taking the p*ss are they? And even if they are, better safe than sorry... 

 

 

On a lighter note BondJovi, I got tempted and bought an old Pearl and Zildjian kit, not brilliant but will hopefully get me back into it.

[PrivateDerby]

The sad thing is(as far as I know), the number of mental health issues are rising(certainly in children), is that more awareness or a more stressed and pushed nation?

 

Schizophrenia in young men will be a huge problem apparently, I've read that there's no explanation but the amount of 17yrs+ developing it is rocketing! Dangerous, I know a lad with it and he is so unbelievably unpredictable it's scary! Not nice at all.

 

And then there's the middle aged family men developing various mental health problems due to finances, so sad! 

[BondJovi]

Agree, it annoys me how the 136 suite is used as a convenience sometimes, you know, I know that sometimes people work themselves up into such a state that an over night stay is ideal and they're fine to go back out into the **** next day. But why are professionals deeming people like this safe when they make such real cries for help? They're not taking the p*ss are they? And even if they are, better safe than sorry... 

 

 

On a lighter note BondJovi, I got tempted and bought an old Pearl and Zildjian kit, not brilliant but will hopefully get me back into it.

 

One night can never fix an issue. Calm maybe, but you have to look at what got them there in the first place.

Ahhh, a good old lighter note. As long as you can make foul noise on it then all is good, an old Pearl kit won't let you down. Soon as I have the funds I am certainly going in for a top end kit, one I'll be afraid to take anywhere!!

Schizophrenia in young men will be a huge problem apparently, I've read that there's no explanation but the amount of 17yrs+ developing it is rocketing! Dangerous, I know a lad with it and he is so unbelievably unpredictable it's scary! Not nice at all.

 

And then there's the middle aged family men developing various mental health problems due to finances, so sad! 

I heard from some in education that there is a huge increase in kids by the age of 10 having mental health issues. All this pushing and pressure really does not help. What are we really trying to achieve here? It is not like they decided to have issues. If the kids are stressed and suffering and the parents too, what the heck are we heading to?

[Srg]

Schizophrenia in young men will be a huge problem apparently, I've read that there's no explanation but the amount of 17yrs+ developing it is rocketing! Dangerous, I know a lad with it and he is so unbelievably unpredictable it's scary! Not nice at all.

 

And then there's the middle aged family men developing various mental health problems due to finances, so sad! 

 

Simple explanation is that we are more accutely aware of it than ever before.

[Butthead]

I just can't comprehend how someone can stab a 2 year old 16 times. Mental illness aside those who commit such acts should be put to sleep like the animals they are, because they are no longer human.

[Alex W]

I just can't comprehend how someone can stab a 2 year old 16 times. Mental illness aside those who commit such acts should be put to sleep like the animals they are, because they are no longer human.

Mental Illness is just that, they're 'ill'. If your body's ill, you're sick, can't move well, feel pain etc. If your mind's ill, that's the core of your being. Depending upon how you're affected, you're going to do things that're not at all rational or, in this case, humane.

 

The guy was clearly very ill and knew he was a danger, he rang his social worker and his doctor trying to explain, the system needs improving so that people feeling like this can be examined on an emergency basis, and removed as quickly as possible.

 

He committed an inhumane act, because he wasn't thinking as a normal human would be. It's a disgusting and truly terrible thing he did, but you have to understand the cause. And that cause is illness. He needs to be put into a home, permanently.