Killer Michael Lane stalked and harassed Miss Grice
Two police officers face disciplinary action after fining murder victim £90 for wasting police time before she was killed in her own home by stalker ex-boyfriend
Two officers face disciplinary action after a teenager who reported her stalker ex-boyfriend was fined for wasting police time months before she was killed.
Shana Grice endured months of stalking and harassment from her obsessed former lover, Michael Lane.
The 19-year-old reported her ex-partner to Sussex Police five times in six months, but was fined £90 for wasting police time and handed a with a fixed penalty notice.
Just months later Lane attacked his former girlfriend and slit her throat with a knife before setting fire to her bedroom to try to burn her body in Portslade, near Brighton, East Sussex, in 2016.
Sentencing judge Mr Justice Nicholas Green criticised Sussex Police for siding with the stalker when he jailed Lane for life with a minimum term of 25 years in March 2017.
A total of 14 officers were investigated by the police watchdog in the wake of Miss Grice’s murder.
Two police officers, one of whom has retired, will face gross misconduct proceedings in front of an independent chairman at public hearings on May 7 and 10, Sussex Police confirmed this evening.
Another police officer will face internal misconduct proceedings, which are carried out in private.
No further action will be taken over five other officers investigated by the Independent of Police Conduct (IOPC), while six other force employees – three officers and three staff – have already been handed ‘management advice and further training’.
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Michael Lane killed Shana Grice at her home in Portslade, East Sussex, after becoming obsessed with the teenager
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Michael Lane arriving by van at Lewes Crown Court where he was jailed for life in 2017
The IOPC is understood to be recommending 18 new training measures for the force when it announces the findings of its investigation on Wednesday, according to Channel 4 News.
Lane’s trial prompted widespread calls for action to ensure victims are taken seriously by police.
He pursued Miss Grice by fitting a tracker to her car, stole a house key to sneak into her room while she slept and loitered outside her home. It later emerged 13 other women had reported him to police for stalking.
Singer Lily Allen, who was stalked for seven years, branded the case an example of police ‘continuing to ignore’ warning signs.
At Lane’s sentencing, Mr Justice Nicholas Green said officers ‘jumped to conclusions’ and ‘stereotyped’ Miss Grice.
Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) is due to publish its findings on how stalking and harassment cases are handled by police on Wednesday.
The inquiry was ordered in the wake of Miss Grice’s murder.
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Killer Michael Lane (pictured left arriving at Lewes Crown Court in 2016) murdered ex-girlfriend Shana Grice (right) because he was obsessed with her after a relationship