Archie Spriggs murder: Serious case review not ready until autumn
Findings of a serious case review following the murder of Shropshire schoolboy Archie Spriggs will not be ready until the autumn.
The seven-year-old’s mother, Lesley Speed, was jailed for life for smothering him on the day that she and his father were due in court for custody proceedings over whom he should live with.
Shropshire Council’s social services and health services were among the agencies that had dealings with the youngster’s family prior to the murder, which happened on September 21 last year in Rushbury, near Church Stretton.
After Mrs Speed was jailed for killing him earlier this year, an inquiry was launched by the Shropshire Safeguarding Children’s Board to see if any lessons should be learned from the youngster's death.
Work on the review is still ongoing.
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Ivan Powell, independent chair of the Shropshire Safeguarding Children’s Board, said: “We have commissioned a serious case review which is considering the way in which agencies worked both individually and together in this case, and exploring whether there is a need to improve the way they work to safeguard and promote the welfare of children in Shropshire.
"The review is expected to be completed this autumn.
“Until the review is complete it would be inappropriate for the board, or for any of the partner agencies, to comment further.”
Archie's family have been informed of the review and were due to be given the opportunity to participate.
His father, Matthew Spriggs, claims authorities dismissed his concerns about Mrs Speed’s behaviour and as a result missed opportunities to prevent the killing and had failed his son.
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Mrs Speed was convicted of murdering her son following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court which heard that she had suffered from a depressive illness for several years, and which led to a “distorted and negative” pattern of thinking.
She denied murdering him and claimed he committed suicide, but the jury did not believe her account of what happened to him. She was jailed for life and must serve a minimum of 18 years.
The 44-year-old and Mr Spriggs were embroiled in bitter custody battle and she failed to arrive at a family court hearing on the day Archie was found dead at their home near Church Stretton and she was found with self-inflicted injuries.
Both parents made complaints separately to various authorities about each other emotionally abusing him, and since May 2017 Mr Spriggs could only see his son at a social services contact centre following a row over access.
