Woman still seeking answers after partner's death

"They think because I'm young and I'm vulnerable, that I'm going to accept it for what it is and walk away. And I'm not."

Chloe Mefford was the partner of Tommy Hunter. In December 2023 he was hit by a car on Burton Road near Ashby, Leicestershire. It was more than 24 hours before his body was found in a roadside hedge.

Ms Mefford is convinced Leicestershire Police's investigation into his death was not carried out properly, and now the force's handling of one of her complaints is to be reviewed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

The man police investigated, Brandon Beesla, admitted driving a vehicle which was in a condition likely to cause danger of injury, and was given a 12-month driving ban and fined.

Ms Mefford, from Swadlincote, Derbyshire, first complained to Leicestershire Police in 2024 and again to both the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after Beesla was sentenced in March 2025.

She was asking questions about the investigation and challenging the decision not to charge Beesla directly for Mr Hunter's death.

She believes justice was not done and is concerned officers missed opportunities to gather evidence about what happened to her partner.

Leicester Magistrates' Court was told Beesla had called a friend in the early hours of 10 December and told them he had hit something in the road.

The friend helped Beesla search the area before he went home in his badly damaged car. Beesla later went to the police after the friend called them.

Beesla had two previous convictions for driving with excess alcohol, but his barrister told the court the police report in this case showed he was not culpable for Mr Hunter's death.

The chair of the magistrates, Brian Cook, said his powers of sentencing were limited due to the charge.

Ms Mefford said police had not asked enough questions about what Beesla and his friend had to say about what happened that night and were slow to respond from the start - leaving Tommy's friends to find his body.

"If they'd have dotted the I's and crossed the T's first, things could have been a lot different to what they are now and we could have got the answers that we wanted, instead of having to do all this fighting," she said.

The CPS Appeals and Review Unit agreed with prosecutors that the evidence around the case was "insufficient to provide a realistic prospect of conviction".

The IOPC will now review the investigation into Ms Mefford's first complaint to Leicestershire Police.

"I just feel so angry and frustrated," she said. "We put our trust into the public services and where are they when we need them?"

Ms Mefford's campaign has the backing of her MP, Samantha Niblett, who said she hoped whatever the result, she could get closure

"We would do anything to support Chloe. She was the partner of a constituent of mine. They have got a little boy who is six years old," she said.

"While she is seeking justice until she has absolutely exhausted every opportunity, I'll continue to support her."

Ms Mefford hopes this review could lead to more evidence emerging about exactly what happened to Mr Hunter and that people who were there the night he died might come forward with more information.

A Leicestershire Police spokesperson said: "The force will be fully co-operating with the IOPC's review."

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