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| Linzi Ashton murder: police had tried to arrest suspect over rape claims | Linzi Ashton murder: police had tried to arrest suspect over rape claims |
| (7 days later) | |
| A woman who was found murdered at her home after a "sustained and brutal" attack had told police she had been raped by her former partner and suffered further domestic violence at his hands. | A woman who was found murdered at her home after a "sustained and brutal" attack had told police she had been raped by her former partner and suffered further domestic violence at his hands. |
| Greater Manchester police have appealed for help in tracing Michael Cope, who is suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend Linzi Ashton, 25, at her home in Salford on Saturday. | Greater Manchester police have appealed for help in tracing Michael Cope, who is suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend Linzi Ashton, 25, at her home in Salford on Saturday. |
| Ashton was found with head and facial injuries at her home. Police have warned that Cope, 28, who has not been seen since, is "dangerous and unstable" and should not be approached. | Ashton was found with head and facial injuries at her home. Police have warned that Cope, 28, who has not been seen since, is "dangerous and unstable" and should not be approached. |
| Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan revealed that police had made numerous attempts to arrest Cope since the end of April, when Ashton told officers Cope had raped her. The mother of two also told police he had committed other violence against her. | Chief Superintendent Kevin Mulligan revealed that police had made numerous attempts to arrest Cope since the end of April, when Ashton told officers Cope had raped her. The mother of two also told police he had committed other violence against her. |
| Mulligan said: "If anyone is harbouring this individual they will be prosecuted. This is a serious offence and we need to track down this man. He does have a history of violent and aggressive behaviour and he does represent a risk to the community. | Mulligan said: "If anyone is harbouring this individual they will be prosecuted. This is a serious offence and we need to track down this man. He does have a history of violent and aggressive behaviour and he does represent a risk to the community. |
| "The community, or members of the community, must know where he is and they need to pass on that information to us as soon as possible and that information will be treated in the strictest of confidence." | "The community, or members of the community, must know where he is and they need to pass on that information to us as soon as possible and that information will be treated in the strictest of confidence." |
| Ashton and Cope were out together in Salford on Friday night and the early hours of Saturday morning, police said. | Ashton and Cope were out together in Salford on Friday night and the early hours of Saturday morning, police said. |
| The bar worker's body was discovered by a relative at her home shortly before 6pm on Saturday. Her daughters – aged two and seven – were not at the address at the time. A Home Office postmortem examination concluded that Ashton died as a result of pressure to the neck and multiple injuries. | The bar worker's body was discovered by a relative at her home shortly before 6pm on Saturday. Her daughters – aged two and seven – were not at the address at the time. A Home Office postmortem examination concluded that Ashton died as a result of pressure to the neck and multiple injuries. |
| Liam Grime, the father of Ashton's two-year-old daughter, Daisy, told Sky News his ex-partner was "everyone's friend, she put everybody first and she was a one-off". | Liam Grime, the father of Ashton's two-year-old daughter, Daisy, told Sky News his ex-partner was "everyone's friend, she put everybody first and she was a one-off". |
| The focus of the manhunt is in Salford with a large police presence in the Winton area. | The focus of the manhunt is in Salford with a large police presence in the Winton area. |
| Because of the police's previous contact with Ashton, the case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said "our involvement in relation to these earlier matters will rightly come under enhanced scrutiny". | Because of the police's previous contact with Ashton, the case has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). Assistant Chief Constable Terry Sweeney said "our involvement in relation to these earlier matters will rightly come under enhanced scrutiny". |
| Greater Manchester police have been criticised in the past for not offering victims of domestic abuse sufficient protection. In 2009, the IPCC said Clare Wood, 36, was let down by "individual and systemic" failures within the force after she was strangled and set on fire by a violent and obsessive ex-boyfriend. GMP were previously criticised at an inquest – along with prosecutors and social services – into the death of Sabina Akhtar, 26, in 2008. She had told police about a threat that her violent husband had made to "get a knife and slaughter you" in the months before she was killed. | Greater Manchester police have been criticised in the past for not offering victims of domestic abuse sufficient protection. In 2009, the IPCC said Clare Wood, 36, was let down by "individual and systemic" failures within the force after she was strangled and set on fire by a violent and obsessive ex-boyfriend. GMP were previously criticised at an inquest – along with prosecutors and social services – into the death of Sabina Akhtar, 26, in 2008. She had told police about a threat that her violent husband had made to "get a knife and slaughter you" in the months before she was killed. |