Murder of vulnerable Ipswich man Joe Pooley could possibly have been avoided, Suffolk Coroner's Court hears

The murder of a vulnerable Ipswich man could possibly have been prevented if it weren't for several individual failings, Suffolk Coroner's Court has been told.

Joe Pooley, 22, was found in the River Gipping on August 13, 2018, six days after he was lured from the Kingsley Hotel where he was living and then attacked, held underwater and drowned.

Sebastian Smith, previously known as Luke Greenland, Sean Palmer and Becki West-Davidson were all jailed for at least 17 years for the parts they played in his murder in May 2021.

During the crown court trial, the motive for the killing was described as 'sexual jealousy' after Mr Pooley and West-Davidson had a sexual encounter on the night of August 5.

Today, during an inquest into his death, Coroner Jacqueline Devonish, who recorded a narrative conclusion that he was unlawfully killed, highlighted various 'individual failings' within organisations Mr Pooley had contact with.

He was described as a 'vulnerable' man who was taken into foster care in 2003 and, upon leaving the care system, had spent some time homeless.

He had been diagnosed with global developmental delay and suspected ADHD and/or autism, but had been waiting for a formal assessment for six years at the time of his death.

The court heard he regularly used cannabis, was 'desperate for friends' and was supported by adult care services at Suffolk County Council who helped him with his day-to-day life and managed his finances as he was deemed not to have the capacity to arrange money and tenancies himself.

Questions surrounding Mr Pooley's poor housing situation, which often left him in unsafe environments, were raised during the inquest and it was found that communication on the issue between Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council was sometimes lacking.

Mr Pooley had 'befriended' Luke Greenland who had a history of violent crime, most recently assaulting a police officer with a full bottle of prosecco, and had been released from prison on license.

The court heard that on June 23, Mr Pooley was arrested for throwing a stone through a woman's window and, when later police were informed that Luke Greenland had paid him to do it, no action came of it.

On June 28, officers were called to a café where Greenland was making threats to kill and had a knuckle duster and taser, but after the complainant did not pursue the matter, no charges were pressed. These incidents were not linked by Suffolk Police.

In July, the month before Mr Pooley's death, probation services became aware that Greenland had removed his electronic tag, breaching the conditions of his licence.

But, on Friday July 27, the team processing his licence revocation, and subsequent notification to police to return him to prison, did not complete the correct forms by the end of the working day.

The following Monday the relevant employees were off work on leave, meaning the revocation was never processed, police were not notified and Greenland was able to walk free.

In earlier inquest hearings, the court heard staff were under extreme pressure and stress at the time due to a backlog in cases and high case load. The regional director of probation services also accepted this was the case at the time.

In court today, Ms Devonish said that if Luke Greenland had been recalled to prison it is more than likely than not that Mr Pooley would not have been killed and added that Greenland was 'central' to the killing.

She said the revocation notice should have been processed on July 27.

She also found that, while individuals within the organisations made errors, no systemic failings took place as there were processes in place that should have been followed.

The organisations, Ms Devonish said, were not to know about the 'real and immediate risk to death' that began on August 5 after Mr Pooley's encounter with West-Davidson, as they had not been informed and said none of the organisations were in breach of their Article 2 duties.

She told the court the Ministry of Justice has made changes to the way probation services are run since the death, including steps to ensure all licence revocations are processed quickly.

She also said Suffolk County Council adult care services have implemented changes including a thoughtful leaving care service and closer work with mental health services and complex care teams.

Ms Devonish recorded a narrative conclusion to the inquest which stated Joe Pooley was unlawfully killed after he was attacked in the early hours of August 7.

The conclusion included the fact that one of his attackers had a history of violent crimes and that he should have been recalled to prison before the killing.

A statement released by Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership, which includes Suffolk County Council and Suffolk police, following the inquest said: "Joe’s tragic and untimely death has had a deep and lasting impact on all who knew and cared for him, and our thoughts remain with everyone affected and who are still grieving."

It explained Mr Pooley's case was reviewed in 2021 and recommendations are being implemented.

These include, among others, the need to 'assertively and intrusively engage with young people at risk', provide mental health support services to young people who do not have a formal diagnosis and ensure that individuals without a formal diagnosis are not discharged simply because they are hard to engage.

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