Police handling of killer probed
Detectives at West Mercia Police face an investigation into how they handled allegations against killer Jason Conroy – a year before he went on to murder a teenager in a care home.
Conroy attacked a teacher at a Shropshire school more than a year before he went on to strangle 18-year-old Melissa Mathieson in Bristol.
The attack at the school involved him attempting to throttle his female victim.
West Mercia Police has referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) regarding its handling of allegations made against Conroy over the attack in March 2013.
It comes just a week after the force admitted serious failings into how it investigated Jamie Reynolds in the years before he murdered Shropshire teenager Georgia Williams.
Conroy was described in court earlier this month as having an "abnormal sexual drive and a history of aggressive behaviour".
He was 17 at the time of the attack on the school teacher in Shropshire. Bristol Crown Court was told that Conroy revealed to psychiatrists he wanted to kill the teacher in order to abuse her sexually.
By October last year Asperger's-sufferer Conroy, 19, was staying at Alexandra House residential home in Bristol.
Hours after fellow resident Melissa told staff he was stalking her, she was strangled by him. He planned to drag her body back to his room and abuse her.
The IPCC learned in January this year of the previous incident involving Conroy in Shropshire.
Neil Coyte, spokesman for the IPCC, said: "The IPCC received a referral from West Mercia Police in January 2015.
"It concerned the police handling of allegations made against Jason Conroy in connection with an incident in Shropshire in March 2013.
"The IPCC investigation was paused due to the criminal prosecution of Mr Conroy but has now resumed following his convictions."
Kieren Bodill of West Mercia Police, said: "The matter has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission who are carrying out an independent investigation."
Georgia's mother Lynnette Williams, who was told about the Conroy case by West Mercia two weeks ago, spoke of her concerns.
She said: "You would have thought that in the latter part of 2013, just a few months after our daughter's horrific murder, West Mercia Police would have been on high alert for incidents like the one Conroy was involved in."
Melissa Mathieson's father James, 50, added: 'The police should have done their job and acted on what they knew. All the warning signs were there – but no one took any notice."
Reynolds, 24, first came to the attention of police and other agencies in January 2008 after luring a teenager girl to his home on the pretence of helping with a media project, five years before he killed Georgia.
