Call 'to get in habit' of making Clare's Law applications
It's after a man was jailed for life for murdering his girlfriend in Huyton
After a man was jailed for life for murdering his girlfriend in Huyton, a Knowsley domestic abuse charity is urging women entering new relationships to 'get into the habit' of making Clare's Law applications.
Michael Ormandy, 34, from Litherland, will serve at least 24 years behind bars after killing Rebekah Campbell, 32, inside her own flat in Knowsley Heights in April.
Rebekah was stabbed 18 times during a frenzied attack, after she told friends that she wanted to end their four-month relationship.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Ormandy had a history of violence before meeting Rebekah, and that he punched her in the face just three days before he murdered her.
Clare's Law allows anyone to ask the police if their partner may pose a risk to them.
Detective Superintendent Ben Dyer, from Merseyside Police, said:
"In this case, I don't believe that any application was made and it's right to flag that Merseyside Police, and Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell, launched the 'Spotting the red flags' campaign in September last year and that campaign is all about helping to recognise the warning signals of domestic abuse.
"We put the voices of women and girls at the heart of the work to tackle this issue.
"We take domestic abuse, in any form, seriously"
"It's incredibly daunting and probably a really scary prospect to pick up the phone and call somebody for help, let alone call the police, but we want to reassure people that we take domestic abuse, in any form, seriously.
"We have dedicated teams within Merseyside Police - staffed, skilled investigators who will investigate and support those victims and we have the support of our partners across Merseyside in every local authority area that will be there to support those victims as well."
The First Step in Knowsley support those affected by domestic abuse - and recently commissioned an independent report into the deaths of women and Merseyside since 2009, after the Femicide Census identified Knowsley, in March 2023, as the constituency with the highest rate of killed women and girls in the United Kingdom for the previous 12-month period.
Emma Kay, Head of Services at The First Step, said:
"No sentence is ever going to be enough for the loss of life of Rebekah and the unimaginable pain and loss that her friends and family have experienced through this and the fact that Ormandy portrayed himself as a victim during the trial, claiming self-defence, so the sentence and guilty verdict is a vital moment of justice for Rebekah and her friends and family.
"This is a really heart-breaking case and a reminder of the devastating impact of domestic abuse and the amount of losses that we've had in recent years.
"Domestic abuse can happen to anyone at any time"
"The First Step have recently commissioned an independent report to look more closely into the deaths and to hold the state to account for the repeated failures of those losses and looking at the responses for violence against women and girls and the wider impact to help try and reduce future losses.
"We have to acknowledge that domestic abuse can happen to anyone at any time and if there's anyone out there who feels like they're in an abusive relationship or they're just sure, something just doesn't feel quite right, or you might have a friend, a family member, a colleague that you're worried about, speak to somebody, seek support.
"There's also Clare's Law that you can request through the police. There's the 'Right to Ask' application that you can make. You can do that online or by contacting 101. You can do that your yourself and you can do that for someone that you're worried about as well.
"Just get into the habit of making that request to the police"
"It's Domestic Abuse Awareness Month and at The First Step particularly we're trying to raise awareness all the time, particularly this month and next month with the White Ribbon campaign and the 16 days of action.
"Following this case in particular, its been reported there was a history (of violence) there and it's really important for people to be aware if you come into a new relationship, or you're worried about somebody, just get into the habit of making that request to the police.
"It's a simple process, really easy online process, or ring 101. If you're concerned, if you're worried about somebody, please I just urge anybody to do that."
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Ormandy sent controlling and critical messages to Rebekah in the days before her death, because he was angry that Rebekah was avoiding him after she told friends that she wanted to end the relationship.
Ms Kay is urging anyone concerned about ending a relationship that they are there to support them.
She added:
"We know that separation is the riskiest time with domestic abuse and it's really important for people to seek advice and support at that point.
"We can help you with making those choices about how to end relationships safely, we can safety plan with you.
"There might be other things to consider that you're worried about around finances, children, housing, but we can help provide you with those choices and next steps and give you that advice and guidance and support so that the ending of that relationship is safer for you."
The First Step Support Service
- The First Step is Knowsley's only independent specialist domestic abuse service
- You can self-refer for support by calling 0151 548 3333, alternatively you can find useful information and other ways to contact us on our website www.thefirststep.org.uk