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| Linzi Ashton murder: Police told of sex assault in April | Linzi Ashton murder: Police told of sex assault in April |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A mother-of-two who was found "brutally murdered" at her home had reported her former partner for a "serious sexual offence", police have said. | A mother-of-two who was found "brutally murdered" at her home had reported her former partner for a "serious sexual offence", police have said. |
| Linzi Ashton's body was found on Saturday evening at the house in Westbourne Road in Winton, Salford. | Linzi Ashton's body was found on Saturday evening at the house in Westbourne Road in Winton, Salford. |
| Greater Manchester Police said the 25-year-old had reported Michael Cope, 28, in April. She also made an allegation of assault against him in May. | Greater Manchester Police said the 25-year-old had reported Michael Cope, 28, in April. She also made an allegation of assault against him in May. |
| Mr Cope is wanted by police in connection with Ms Ashton's death. | Mr Cope is wanted by police in connection with Ms Ashton's death. |
| Ms Ashton, whose body was found by a relative, had daughters aged seven and two. | Ms Ashton, whose body was found by a relative, had daughters aged seven and two. |
| A Home Office post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death has yet to take place. | A Home Office post-mortem examination to establish the cause of death has yet to take place. |
| Det Ch Supt Darren Shenton said Ms Ashton had been "brutally murdered" and that she had visible injuries to her head and face. | Det Ch Supt Darren Shenton said Ms Ashton had been "brutally murdered" and that she had visible injuries to her head and face. |
| He said that he believed Mr Cope was in Salford and that police would take a "particularly dim view of anyone who provides assistance" to him. | He said that he believed Mr Cope was in Salford and that police would take a "particularly dim view of anyone who provides assistance" to him. |
| 'Enhanced scrutiny' | |
| The Greater Manchester force has referred the case to the Independent Police Complaints Commission because of the reports it received about the couple. | |
| Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said the force would "rightly come under enhanced scrutiny" because of the reports. | |
| The force has previously faced criticism for its failure to protect victims of domestic violence. | |
| In the case of Clare Wood, who made several complaints to police before she was strangled and burnt by a violent and obsessive ex-boyfriend in Salford in 2009, the IPCC concluded there had been "individual and systemic" failures by the force. | |
| Her death led to the inception of the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (DVDS), a scheme nicknamed Clare's Law after Ms Wood, which gives people the right to ask police if their partner has a history of domestic violence. | |
| The force is currently involved in a year-long trial of the scheme, which is due to conclude in September. | |
| GMP revealed last week that it had so far received 90 applications for information from people or agencies and it had made 53 disclosures. |