The man was stabbed to death on 27 October, 2013 by his 49 year old partner at their flat in Wolverhampton city centre. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
In accordance with established practice, a review was commissioned by the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership to identify what could be learned from the circumstances leading to his death. It makes strategic recommendations which agencies in Wolverhampton are acting upon to strengthen support for victims of domestic violence.
Chair of the Safer Wolverhampton Partnership Linda Sanders said: "This independent review has examined the circumstances of this very tragic case in forensic detail.
"By commissioning it, we have made clear our determination to learn from our involvement in the lives of these vulnerable family individuals, and underlined how seriously we take the issue of addressing domestic violence in Wolverhampton.
"The review is published today for all to consider the events leading up to the man's death, and makes important and challenging reading for the agencies concerned.
"The report makes it clear that professionals from agencies across Wolverhampton worked tirelessly to try and break the cycle of domestic abuse that was prevalent in this relationship.
"However, this was a complex, high risk case, with reciprocal violence between individuals who almost completely refused to engage meaningfully with alcohol and mental health services.
"The Safer Wolverhampton Partnership fully accepts both the findings and the recommendations of this review, which we believe could change the awareness of professionals in domestic abuse, alcohol misuse and mental health services, as well as the police and criminal justice systems.
"The agencies involved have already completed work to address the issues raised, including reviewing and strengthening their policies and procedures and training staff to deal with complex cases such as this, and our commitment to acting upon the report's recommendations signals that Wolverhampton takes domestic violence very seriously indeed."
She added: "Tragic incidents of this kind only serve to remind us of the work everyone - agencies, individuals and families - need to do to tackle domestic violence. I want to take this opportunity to appeal to victims of domestic violence, their friends, family and the wider community. Please report abuse to the police or other agencies; we will do our best to protect you."
The Domestic Homicide Review is available on the Type=links;Linkid=3380;Title=Safer Wolverhampton Partnership;Target=_blank; website.
- released: Thursday 6 August, 2015