East Anglian charity calls for strong action to support domestic abuse victims

It's after a man in Norfolk was yesterday jailed for life for murdering his partner

Tara Kershaw
Author: Tom ClabonPublished 12th Nov 2024

A charity that works with survivors of domestic abuse in Norfolk and Suffolk says more needs to be done to make sure victims are supported earlier.

It comes after 41-year-old Adam Barnard, from Great Yarmouth, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 19 years in prison yesterday, after he strangled and murdered his partner Tara Kershaw in January.

The mum of two had told specialists the night before her death that Adam had hit her in the lip.

"There are only so many times we can keep going round and saying 'this needs to happen'"

Rhys Lloyd is from Leeway: "I believe The National Police Chiefs Council called all forms of violence against women and girls a 'national emergency', this year.

"It's something that we really need to start taking seriously and driving actions for.

"There are only so many times we can keep going round and saying 'this needs to happen' or be done better."

He told us what's needed now: "This requires a strong multi-agency, joined-up approach.

"We've seen in recent years how there are great delays in the courts and I think that perhaps undermines confidence in the system."

The context:

Those at Norwich Crown Court were told about previous police contact with Barnard and Tara, including an incident at around 6pm on Thursday 18 January 2024.

On this occasion, Tara phoned officers in the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) and told them Barnard had hit her on the lip.

Norfolk Police says officers were deployed to the address and Barnard was arrested on suspicion of common assault and taken to Great Yarmouth Investigation Centre for questioning.

However, he was released at 10.50pm with no further action being taken.

The following day, police safeguarding staff from the MASH and an Independent Domestic Violence Adviser called Tara’s mobile three times to check on her welfare but their calls went unanswered.

On the following day, Barnard told an officer outside Yarmouth police station, shortly before 9am: “I think I’ve killed my partner.”

Tara’s body was discovered under a blanket on the floor of a room she lived in, in a guest house in Princes Road.

A Home Office postmortem examination later confirmed her cause of death was compression of the neck.

What's happening now?

Norfolk Police say they made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in January 2024 in relation to previous police contact with the victim and Barnard.

The IOPC has subsequently confirmed it is conducting its independent investigation.

First for all the latest news from across the UK every hour on Hits Radio on DAB, at hitsradio.co.uk and on the Rayo app.