IPCC enquiry into police response

Lucinda Port. Photo: Met Police

An independent enquiry has been launched into police actions after a woman contacted them expressing concern about a friend who was later found stabbed to death in Brymay Close, Bow last week. Lucinda Port’s body was discovered just before 7 a.m. on Tuesday 26th April. She was 29 years old.

At the same time the police had been investigating the death of a man found hanging at Weavers Fields, Bethnal Green Road, Bethnal Green two days earlier. He was later identified as 31 year old Paul Wright from the Tower Hamlets area.

A murder enquiry into Lucinda’s Port’s death was begun by the Metropolitan Police Homicide and Serious Crime Command under DCI John Sandlin.

The Met Police issued a statement on 28th April that they had “referred matters in connection with these incidents to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, namely around previous contact by police with the man and the woman. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”

On Wednesday 4th May the IPCC announced that they were “investigating prior police contact” with Lucinda Port. The IPCC said:

At approximately 12.10pm on 17 April 2011 a woman called police reporting concern for the welfare of her friend, Lucinda Port, who had told her that her partner, Paul Wright, was at her house, which was in breach of his bail conditions. Two officers went to the address but the man had left.

The IPCC said it “will examine what action was taken by the two officers who answered the woman’s call on 17 April.”

An inquest opened into both deaths at St Pancras Coroner’s Court on Tuesday 3 May and was adjourned until Wednesday 1 June.

Bethnal Green and Bow bodies linked by police

Leave a Reply