Alison Mutch, Senior Coroner for the coroner area of South Manchester, has criticised Greater Manchester Police and the probation service following the tragic murder of Elizabeth Sarah Jayne McCann. The victim was raped and murdered on August 25, 2022, at her home address in Ashton-under-Lyne. Her killer, Simon Goold, was a convicted sex offender who was on a life licence at the time and was listed on the Sex Offenders Register due to previous convictions in 2009 for rape, sexual assault, and Section 20 assault.
Failures in Risk Management
The case highlights several critical failures in risk management that may have contributed to Elizabeth’s death.
- Health and Wellbeing College Connection: Simon Goold met Elizabeth through the Health and Wellbeing College run by Pennine Care. Despite being on licence, he was signposted by Probation to the college. However, there was no clear, documented system for managing his risk within the college. As a result, he joined without a proper risk assessment, potentially exposing Elizabeth to danger.
- Lack of Risk Assessment: The college and Probation failed to establish an effective risk management system for attendees like Simon. Had there been a stringent plan in place, he might not have been accepted at the college at all.
- Excessive Caseloads: Both Simon’s Probation Officer and Police Offender Manager were overwhelmed with caseloads. Greater Manchester Police had inadequately staffed the Sexual Offender Management Unit, and the Probation service faced recruitment challenges. This workload likely hindered effective risk assessment and communication.
- Missed Opportunities: In March 2022, Simon disclosed a small alcohol relapse to his Police Offender Manager, but this information was not shared with Probation. Similarly, when he revealed an intimate relationship in April, both Greater Manchester Police and Probation failed to take appropriate action. The lack of professional curiosity and failure to reassess his risk contributed to the tragedy.
The report stressed that it was probable that had there not been a failure to share the July 2022 incident which was caused by the previous failures Elizabeth McCann would not have died on the day she did.
