Leighann Wightman murder: Police took hours to find victim

Detectives investigating a woman's murder failed to record her address, despite the killer being the subject of a restraining order, a review said.

Leighann Wightman, 24, from Nottingham, was stabbed to death in 2011 by Andrew Kemp who was later jailed for 22 years.

Her family had called for a second Domestic Homicide Review after being unhappy with the first in 2014.

The force took three and a half hours to find the victim on the night she was killed, the report said.

The review, commissioned by South Nottinghamshire Community Safety Partnership, said Kemp had a "history of violence against women" and the danger he posed was not grasped.

Despite being the subject of an order preventing him from contacting Ms Wightman, Kemp had managed to break into her home in Norman Street, Netherfield, and stab her eight times before leaving her to die.

She had previously been in an abusive relationship with the then 48-year-old, who had a conviction for rape and a not proven murder charge.

The review said the police took hours to find the victim on the night she was killed after failing to record her address.

The report said: "On the night of [Leighann Wightman's] death, officers could find no record of her address, despite the perpetrator having a restraining order not to contact her."

Concluding its findings, the report said: "Despite his history, professionals focused their attention on [Ms Wightman] rather than him.

"Professionals did not comprehend the danger he posed, they did not recognise they were being manipulated by him and they failed to see how few choices [Ms Wightman] had available to her."

The original review made 39 recommendations which have all been implemented, while the second review has identified a further six recommendations to make sure victims of domestic abuse are properly protected.

Det Supt Andy Gowan said Nottinghamshire Police has improved how officers and staff can better protect vulnerable people from harm in such cases.

He added: "We have welcomed each of the recommendations put forward and have worked hard to embed them into our everyday work."

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