Five Derbyshire Police officers are served with misconduct notices after model, 23, was stabbed to death ‘by stalker who she reported to the force four months before she was killed’
- Grace Spinks’s body was found in a field in Duckmanton, Derbyshire on June 18
- The 23-year-old keen horse rider had reported Michael Sellars for stalking her
- Five police officers are under investigation over their handling of the case
- It is believed Michael Sellars murdered Ms Spinks before taking his own life
Five Derbyshire police officers are facing a misconduct investigation over their handling of the case of model Gracie Spinks who was stabbed to death in June.
Ms Spinks, 23, had reported Michael Sellars to police, alleging the 35-year-old warehouse supervisor was staking her four months before her body was discovered in a field in Dunkmanston, Derbyshire on June 18.
The Independent Office of Police Conduct today said they have served a misconduct notice on a police sergeant and a police constable over their handling of the stalking allegations.
Three other officers, a sergeant and two constables are also facing misconduct charges after a bag containing weapons including hammers were found in a bag a month before Ms Spinks was attack.
The bag was found only a short distance to where she was killed.
investigation into how a stalking and harassment allegation was handled.
The 23-year-old victim is believed to have been killed by 35-year-old Michael Sellars, who she had reported to Derbyshire Police in February for stalking.
Gracie Spinks, 23, reported Michael Sellars, 35, to police four months before she was stabbed to death in Derbyshire in June 18
Michael Sellars is suspected of murdering Ms Spinks before taking his own life. His body was found by police several hours after his alleged victim
A total of five Derbyshire Police officers are being probed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct for their handling of the case
The IOPC said three other Derbyshire Police have been served with misconduct notices over the steps they took after a bag of weapons, including a hammer, an axe and some knives, was discovered in May near where Ms Spinks was later found dead.
A police sergeant has been served with a gross misconduct notice relating to the action taken over the stash of weapons, and two other constables have been served with misconduct notices.
Ms Spinks was last seen alive by her mother at 7.30am on June 18, leaving the family home in Chesterfield to drive a few miles to Blue Lodge Farm stables in Duckmanton, where she kept her horse.
She was discovered unconscious with stab wounds at the stables half an hour later.
The body of unemployed Sellers, from Sheffield, who was her former supervisor at a warehouse where she once worked, was found in a nearby field off Tom Lane a few hours later.
Toby Perkins, Labour MP for Chesterfield, previously called for stalking victims to be the ‘law’s upmost priority’ following Ms Spinks’s death.
Ms Spinks, pictured, had reported Sellars to Derbyshire police whose conduct is now under investigation for failing to handle the case correctly
Part of the investigation concerns the discovering of this bag which was recovered only 100 yards from where the model was killed. Police were handed this bag one month before Ms Spinks was stabbed to death
The weapons cache included a hammer, an axe and several knives
IOPC regional director Derrick Campbell said: ‘We have made good progress, but our investigation is ongoing and there is more work still to do.
‘After consideration of evidence so far, we have reached a stage where we have now served disciplinary notices on five officers.
‘The purpose of such notices is to advise officers their conduct is subject to investigation, and do not necessarily mean that disciplinary proceedings will follow.
‘The serving of notices will be kept under review.
‘We aren’t able to provide more detail at present, but we appreciate the impact Gracie’s death has had on the local community and beyond and the importance of keeping people updated with our investigation’s progress.
‘We are keeping Gracie’s family informed and we note the work they have undertaken with others to campaign for Gracie’s Law to help better protect victims of stalking.’
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