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Shana Grice: Murder victim's 'harassment claims a smokescreen' Shana Grice: Police misconduct over victim's stalking claims
(about 3 hours later)
An ex-PC has defended his decision to drop an investigation into a man who went on to kill his former partner. An ex-PC committed misconduct by failing to investigate a teenager's claims she was being harassed by a former boyfriend who later killed her.
Trevor Godfrey told a misconduct hearing he believed Shana Grice had accused Michael Lane of harassment as a "smokescreen" to hide an affair. Trevor Godfrey told a disciplinary panel he believed Shana Grice's accusations against Michael Lane were a "smokescreen" to hide their affair.
The 19-year-old reported Lane to police five times in the months before she was murdered in Brighton in 2016. The 19-year-old reported Lane to Sussex Police five times in the months before she was murdered in Brighton in 2016.
Mr Godfrey denied applying a stereotype that she could not be at risk from Lane due to a previous sexual relationship. Mr Godfrey was told he would have been sacked had he not retired in 2017.
Mr Godfrey, who retired from Sussex Police in 2017 after 29 years, is accused of failing to adequately investigate Miss Grice's claims. He issued Miss Grice with a warning for wasting police time and decided to take no further action against Lane, a misconduct panel in Lewes heard.
A report commissioned after Miss Grice's death found that stalking and harassment offences were not being properly investigated by Sussex Police. It found the former officer failed to adequately investigate allegations of harassment and stalking, and that he failed to treat Ms Grice as a victim, in a breach of police rules.
Giving evidence in Lewes, Mr Godfrey said: "She lied to police three times. Panel chairwoman Victoria Goodfellow said: "While clearly serious matters, they are not enough to mean gross misconduct."
"It was only right I advised her she cannot keep lying in police statements and getting people arrested for it." She added: "We do not attribute any blame on Shana."
'Duties and responsibilities'
The panel previously heard Miss Grice had initially failed to disclose she and Lane had been in a relationship.The panel previously heard Miss Grice had initially failed to disclose she and Lane had been in a relationship.
Mr Godfrey said there was no sign of Miss Grice being harassed, something she previously accused Lane of, before admitting to police that him being outside her house late at night was because she had arranged the meeting behind the back of her then-boyfriend. But Sarah Green, of the Independent Office for Police Conduct, said Mr Godfrey had failed in his "duties and responsibilities to Shana," adding: "Those close to Shana have testified that his actions affected her confidence in the police and may have prevented her from reporting Lane's continued harassment."
A report commissioned after Miss Grice's death found stalking and harassment offences were not being properly investigated by Sussex Police.
The panel was told she had an affair with Lane while seeing someone else and Mr Godfrey said there had been no sign of harassment, despite her making accusations to the contrary.
The ex-officer said she had admitted that on one occasion, Lane was outside her house at the time of an alleged assault because she had arranged the meeting behind her then-boyfriend's back.
He said: "She would be signing her texts [to Lane] with five kisses. This is not harassment. It was a smokescreen to disguise her affair."He said: "She would be signing her texts [to Lane] with five kisses. This is not harassment. It was a smokescreen to disguise her affair."
Pulled hair There was therefore "no reason" to supply Miss Grice with safety advice because "There was nothing there to suggest she was in any form of danger whatsoever," he added.
He said there was therefore "no reason" to supply Miss Grice with safety advice, adding: "There was nothing there to suggest she was in any form of danger whatsoever." Mark Aldred, representing Mr Godfrey, said his client was right to consider Miss Grice's misleading statement when deciding to recommend no further action be taken against Lane after he allegedly grabbed her phone and pulled her hair.
Lane, 27, was jailed for a minimum of 25 years in 2017 for murdering Ms Grice.Lane, 27, was jailed for a minimum of 25 years in 2017 for murdering Ms Grice.
Mark Aldred, representing Mr Godfrey, said his client was right to consider Miss Grice's misleading statement when deciding to recommend no further action be taken against Lane after he allegedly grabbed his ex-girlfriend's phone and pulled her hair. Assistant Chief Constable Jon Savell apologised for the "failures that have been highlighted in this and other misconduct hearings".
The two-day misconduct hearing is due to end later. He added: "I and all my colleagues come to work to help the public and protect them."
He said the force was learning lessons about how it deals with stalking, harassment and domestic abuse.