Sarah Hemingway is representing the family, instructed by Sarah Kellas and Harriet Wistrich of Birnberg Peirce Solicitors.
On 24 November 2016, Lisa Skidmore, a 37-year-old nurse, was raped and murdered in her own home by a convicted sex offender. He also attempted to murder Lisa’s 80-year-old mother, Margaret, who came to visit at her home shortly after he had carried out the horrific attack on Lisa. He then went on to light a fire in the house and turn on the gas hob before leaving. Against all odds, Margaret survived the brutal attack and, with the support of other members of her family, has since fought to ensure there is a thorough investigation into why and how this could have happened.
At the time of the offences the offender was being supervised in the community by the Midlands Division of the National Probation Service (NPS). He was managed under a Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA), which are arrangements commonly used to manage serious offenders when they are released from prison. They provide for the police, probation services and others to work together, to keep the public safe. However, on this occasion, the arrangements did not protect Lisa or her mother.
On 12 May 2017, their attacker was sentenced to life imprisonment for rape, murder and attempted murder.
In April 2018, Rory Stewart, Minister of State for Justice commissioned Dame Glenys Stacey, Chief Inspector of Probation to undertake a review of this case. Further, on 24 January 2019, HM Inspectorate of Probation published a thematic report on the Management and Supervision of Men Convicted of Sexual Offences, which considers the challenges facing probation staff in protecting the public from the risk posed by such offenders.
The inquest into Lisa’s death is to be heard with a jury before Senior Coroner Mr Siddique at the Black Country Coroners Court from 25 February 2019.
This has been covered by BBC.
Sarah Hemingway is a member of the Garden Court Chambers Inquests an Inquiries Team.
