An inquest into the murder of Gracie Spinks and the discovery of a bag of weapons six weeks before her murder. Gracie Spinks, a 23-year-old woman, was killed by Michael Sellers while she was tending to her horse at Blue Lodge Farm in Duckmanton, Derbyshire, on June 18, 2021. Sellers is believed to have taken his own life after committing the murder.
The bag in question contained three knives, an axe, and a hammer, and it was discovered by a member of the public on May 6, 2021, near the stables where the murder took place. The bag also contained Viagra tablets, a handwritten note saying "Don't lie," and a receipt from Marks & Spencer, which belonged to Sellers' father.
PC Jill Lee-Liggett, who responded to the discovery of the bag, testified at the inquest that she did not have "serious concerns" about the contents of the bag being related to a crime. She did not make notes or save body-worn camera footage from the visit and did not consider visiting the farm track where the bag was found. PC Lee-Liggett mentioned that she initially thought the items in the bag could be related to woodwork, theatrics, or props, rather than having murderous intent.
Sgt. Lee Richards, who was involved in the decision-making process regarding the bag, testified that he instructed PC Lee-Liggett to book the bag as "lost and found" property, with the intention of eventually destroying the items, rather than conducting a further investigation. He explained that he was influenced by previous experiences in policing rural areas and did not see the bag of weapons as a threat at the time.
Both PC Lee-Liggett and Sgt. Richards expressed regret and acknowledged that, in hindsight, their handling of the situation was inadequate given the tragic events that followed. Gracie Spinks' murder occurred weeks after the bag of weapons was discovered, and the officers expressed remorse for not taking the matter more seriously.
The inquest is examining the actions of the police officers involved in the case and the decisions made regarding the bag of weapons found before the murder.