An inquest into the murder of Gracie Spinks has listed serious failings by Derbyshire Police. The force has apologised to her family after she was stabbed to death by her stalker after she had turned to the police for help.
Detective Superintendent Darren De’ath said: ‘Put simply, as a force we failed Gracie – and for that I can only offer my own, and the force’s, most sincere apologies’.
He admitted that the investigation was poorly carried out and that the victim’s police report and the bag of weapons found were not taken seriously. No action was taken when Gracie reported how Michael Sellers was obsessed with her and would not leave her alone other than a mere verbal warning from the police officers.
The inquest jury concluded that the warning was not enough to guarantee Gracie’s safety and could have triggered his behaviour to escalate. There was no consideration of a stalking prevention order, which should have been implemented.
The police officers also failed to run a background check on Sellers. National databases should have been looked into, as well as disciplinary investigation records from his workplace. Police did not request these records despite the fact Spinks reported he had become ‘obssessed’ with other women in the workplace. They also did not provide a rationale as to why he was not arrested, even though he was identified as a suspect that has previously shown obsessive behaviours with other women.
Sellers’ stalking began when Gracie ended her friendship with him on 16 December 2021. He worked as her supervisor at an e-commerce firm, Xbite. But after hearing that Sellers had given unwanted attention to other female colleagues, Gracie stopped talking to him.
In her police report, she mentioned how Sellers’ was waiting for her at her horse’s field, which scared her. Sellers was then suspended from his job after Grace reported this. However, he appealed this decision stating that Gracie was lying.
A bag of weapons found by a dog walker near Spinks’ stables six weeks before her murder had a note saying ‘Don’t lie’. Despite the clear connection with Spinks’ stalking allegation, police said this more likely resembled a ‘kid’s game’. The bag contained an axe, knives and Viagra. The bag was also treated as ‘found property’, not a piece of evidence forming part of an investigation, a key mistake highlighted during the inquest. Gracie was found stabbed in June 2021, and Sellers’ body was discovered a short distance away.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) also revealed that three officers involved in the case had breached standards of police professional behaviour for duties and responsibilities. Two of the officers received written warnings, however, no action could be taken against the third officer since he had retired.
‘It was just total incompetence’, said Richard Spinks, father of the victim. ‘Derbyshire Police let Gracie down, let us down and we hope that they do not let anyone else down.’
He added that he felt like the police simply wanted to get the job done and over with, which was why there was no investigation. He emphasised the need for the police to change how they operate in order to serve justice.
