AN INQUEST into the death of Maria Stubbings has concluded that a catalogue of police failings contributed to her murder.

Maria, 50, was found dead at her home in Great Baddow in December 2008.

Marc Chivers, who had already served time in a German prison for murdering a woman in Germany in 1992, admitted killer Maria in 2009.

Stephen Kavanagh, the Chief Constable of Essex Police, has apologised for the police's failure to protect Maria, but insists the force are getting better at dealing with domestic abuse.

Maria's family fought hard for an inquest to look at the facts of her death.

And now they are calling for a public inquiry into the response by police and other state agencies in how they handle victims of domestic violence.

A statement by the family, including Maria's brother Manuel Fernandez, her daughter Celia Peachey and son Bengi Stubbings, said: "After six years of fighting for justice we are grateful to the jury for their finding of a huge catalogue of police failures in the final days of Maria’s life that contributed to her death at the hands of Marc Chivers.

"We can also announce today that the Chief Constable of Essex Police has admitted civil liability in our claim against them. The Chief Constable has agreed a formal declaration that he failed to protect the lives of both Maria and Bengi – who, it’s important to remember, was just 15 years old at the time. 

"The inquest heard how Bengi was in the house with his mum’s dead body and her killer.  This could so easily have been an inquest into two deaths."

"We have fought and won in honour of Maria and in the hope that things will change to protect others in her name. 

"But from the evidence we’ve seen from frontline officers at this inquest, we’re afraid that change is not something that will happen any time soon. 

"When any force operates without heart, compassion or accountability it is destined to fail. As far as we’re concerned, Maria’s murder is as much the fault of Essex Police as the murderer himself. Essex Police knew Maria’s killer had killed a previous girlfriend. They prosecuted him for a previous assault on Maria and he’d gone to prison.

"They assessed Maria as being at high risk of death or serious harm from Chivers. Yet when she called asking for help, they found every excuse to do nothing. The level of incompetence, the lack of basic policing, the failure to communicate key information – words fail us.  Ultimately, Maria paid the price for these failings with her life.

"Change at local level is promised. We’ll wait and see if it translates into change on the ground.  But even if it does, change at local level is not enough. The truth is that many, many women up and down the country are failed as Maria was failed. That’s why Refuge and Maria’s family are calling for a public inquiry into the response of the police and other agencies to domestic abuse. We urge everyone to join us in this call by signing the petition at www.refuge.org.uk/publicinquiry."

The four-week inquest into Maria's death - which was attended by Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, who also tweeted in support of the family - heard from more than 10 Essex Police officers, from doctors and family.

The jury found:

*Failure to undertake a risk assessment and safety plan in October 2008, when Chivers was released from prison

*Incompetence of Domestic Abuse and Hate Crime Unit (DAHCU), in particular Domestic Abuse Liaison Officers (DALOs)

*Incompetence of supervisors

*Inadequate training

*Ineffective IT systems and lack of communication between intelligence systems

*Ineffective case management and inability to link incidents

*Failure of frontline officers to perform basic policing duties, including failure to arrest perpetrator on numerous occasions

*An inappropriate focus on sanctioned results

*Significant policy breaches including downgrading Maria’s allegation of burglary without supervisors’ approval and failure to notify other agencies.

CHIEF CONSTABLE OF ESSEX POLICE IN PERSONAL APOLOGY TO FAMILY

THE Chief Constable of Essex Police, Stephen Kavanagh, has apologised to the family of Maria Stubbings, admitting: "We did not protect her".

In a statement, he said: "Essex Police did not protect Maria Stubbings from Marc Chivers and I wish to apologise to her family for that failure.

"I know nothing can ever bring Maria back but I want them to know that the way we deal with domestic abuse in Essex has changed greatly.

"Maria's family have shown great courage and determination in holding us to account for the mistakes we made. Ultimately we failed in our duty to protect Maria, and her son, because the continuing danger that Marc Chivers posed to them was not recognised."

Mr Kavanagh was not Chief Constable of the force in 2008, but he said it has become a "personal mission that a situation like hers must never be allowed to happen again".

He added: "Chivers is a devious, manipulative and violent individual, and we must do all that we can to protect people from criminals like him.

"I have made it a priority for Essex Police to put in place systems that allow us to effectively identify the level of risk to victims so they can be protected."

He added that Essex Police receives more than 90 domestic abuse calls every day.

He said: "That's why we are now working closely with survivors of domestic abuse and their families to explain to officers face to face the realities of this cancer within our society.

"Domestic abuse can take many forms including physical, psychological, sexual, financial and emotional.

"It can include controlling behaviour designed to isolate people from support, to deprive them of their independence and regulate their everyday behaviour.

"In those circumstances it can be very difficult for people to reach out for help.

"Protecting every single person at risk of domestic abuse is a huge challenge for the police and our partners but it is one we are determined to meet."

He said new hubs have been set up to share information among partner agencies and ensure police have the best possible picture of the risk to victims and that the force is continuing to work with partners to improve the all-round support it gives to domestic abuse victims.

Special operations have been set up, Mr Kavanagh says, to monitor offenders and target those considered to be a danger while improved support has been put in place to make it easier for survivors to leave abusive relationships and start afresh.

He added: "I cannot guarantee that there will never be another domestic murder in Essex but I am determined to make sure that we never fail a victim again in the same way we failed Maria Stubbings."