• Service Gwent Police provided 'fell short'
  • Killer's surname was wrongly recorded
  • Killer had made threats to burn houses before
  • Gwent Police 'missed the wider issues'
  • Probationary constable given written warning, sergeant given 'management advice'

AN independent police investigation has criticised the conduct of a Gwent Police constable and sergeant in their handling of a criminal damage report by murder victim Kim Buckley.

The report was made at Cwmbran Police station just weeks before Carl Mills murdered Kim, her daughter 17-year-old Kayleigh and her six-month-old granddaughter Kimberley, Mills’ own child, by setting their house on fire in Tillsland, Coed Eva on September 18, 2012.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation found that a police officer, who had only recently completed a probationary period, and a temporary police sergeant, neither of whom have been named, have a case to answer in respect of the allegation of misconduct, made by the Buckley family.

It adds that the service fell well short of standard in relation to a report of criminal damage made by grandmother Kim, who alleged on August 29, 2012 at Cwmbran Police Station that her daughter’s boyfriend Mills was responsible for cutting electrical cables on the television, fish tank and computer at her home.

She also told the police officer dealing with the report that she had received a threatening text reading: “I’ll make sure you’re in danger now.”

The IPCC rules that “it is not possible to determine whether the tragic murders of Kim, Kayleigh and baby Kimberley would have been prevented had Gwent Police dealt differently with Mr Mills.

“Questions around whether Mr Mills would have been charged following an arrest for the criminal damage, whether he would have been detained or bailed and, indeed, whether any of this potential action would have made him change his course of action, are impossible to answer.

“However, the level of service the police provided fell short of that the family could reasonably have expected.”

The IPCC said that Gwent Police held 11 logs relating to Mills’ history between November 15, 2010 and September 18, 2012, but none of these logs were used by officers dealing with the criminal damage report.

The initial logs related to concerns over Kayleigh’s relationship with Mills, but an error in the recording of Mills’ surname as Miles meant that the information was unlikely to be located.

Later logs reported that Mills had sent threatening messages to Kim and that Mills had been hitting Kayleigh, as reported by a friend.

Greater Manchester Police logs, which were not accessed by Gwent Police are “largely historic” but in the context of arson, were “very relevant”.

In 2003, Mills was reportedly threatening to burn down his grandparents house and set fire to his mother’s bed. In 2005, Mills threatened to burn down a house and in 2006 he made threats to burn his step-father’s flat down.

IPCC Commissioner for Wales, Jan Williams said: “The officers responsible for dealing with the allegation failed to utilise information from previous incidents involving Carl Mills and the Buckley family, and failed to use the resources available to them.

“And at an organisational level, Gwent Police missed the wider issues which are common to domestic abuse cases, and failed to ensure intrusive supervision.”

Following the investigation, the police constable, identified in the report as PC A, was given a written warning, with the police sergeant, identified as T/PS B being given management advice.

The IPCC said there were shortcomings in PC A’s handling of the criminal damage investigation.

“It is apparent that the relationship between Mr Mills and Kayleigh should have been considered in the light of child abuse and in the principles of a domestic violence investigation,” it says.

“PC A did not contact or attempt to contact Kayleigh. Kim informed her of additional damage to Kayleigh’s belongings but still she did not deem it appropriate to even attempt contact.

“Mr Mills’ threats, the criminal damage and the involvement of social services relating to baby Kimberley are factors that should have prompted PC A to make further enquiries.

“PC A did not research any previous police logs relating to Mr Mills, despite being aware that PC C and other officers had dealt with him previously. PC A relied on the recollection of officers who had each dealt with Mr Mills on a single occasion at some time previously, rather than on accurate, electronically stored information.”

In relation to why he/she did not act upon the threats made by Mills to Kim, PC A said he/she was aware of a text message that Kim received but that she had said “Carl is all mouth when he gets drunk, this is the first time he has damaged my property though.”

The police constable stated: “Nothing she said made me believe that she was threatened or frightened by the text message she showed me, or indeed any of the others which she referred to but did not show me.”

On why he/she did not make a child protection referral, he/she said social services were already aware of the incident and he/she intended on updating them on the outcome of the criminal damage investigation.

In relation to the role of the temporary police sergeant, the IPCC criticises him/her for his/her supervisory capacity and said that they should be expected to “initiate any missed investigatory tasks and enquiries by the officers under his/her supervision.”

The IPCC completed its investigation in December 2013 and shared its report with the force and Buckley family but it has not been made public until now pending the Domestic Homicide Review and Serious Case Review.

IPCC Commissioner Williams added: “This was a callous and brutal act that has devastated remaining family and friends, leaving them utterly bereft. They continue to have my deepest sympathy and I am grateful to family members for being prepared to assist in our investigation; I am only too conscious that this will have meant them reliving the circumstances that led to their traumatic and overwhelming loss.”