Family asserts police inaction contributed to woman’s murder

The siblings of a woman killed by her abusive partner have stated their conviction that she would still be alive had law enforcement addressed her worries with appropriate gravity prior to her demise. Tara Kershaw, aged 33, was fatally strangled in her Great Yarmouth, Norfolk residence in January by Adam Barnard, 41, who received a life sentence with a minimum of 19 years earlier this week. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the police oversight body, announced it is now probing six Norfolk Constabulary personnel for potential misconduct. Her sister, Zoe Savva, stated, “They were called there for reports of non-fatal strangulation.” Ms Savva continued, “Tara wasn’t taken seriously – they believed Adam to be the victim and Tara to be the abuser and that wasn’t the case.” She further asserted, “Had they arrested Adam and charged him with non-fatal strangulation, Tara would still be here.” Ms Savva, 37, who resides in the same town, also noted that this failure meant no limitations were imposed on Barnard to stop him from going back to the pair’s Princes Road residence. Her other sister, Tanita Salih, 32, expressed that Ms Kershaw felt unheard because the mother-of-two was perceived as a “drinker.” The siblings reported that Ms Kershaw explicitly informed police of her fear that Barnard would kill her if she disclosed his abuse to the authorities. Ms Salih recounted, “She clearly said to them, if I tell you the full truth, he’ll just come back and do it again.” The IOPC indicated its review encompasses reports submitted to police from November 2023 to January 2024, and six officers or staff members have received conduct notices. In an official statement, the IOPC declared: “A member of police staff and former police officers are being investigated for potential gross misconduct and a further four officers are being investigated for potential misconduct.” The statement clarified: “This does not mean that disciplinary proceedings will necessarily follow – at the end of our investigation we will decide whether any officers should face disciplinary proceedings.” Barnard, whose court proceedings revealed his history as a violent and convicted sex offender, was informed on Monday that he must serve a minimum of 19 years in prison. During the legal proceedings, police testified to having had prior interactions with the couple, including a phone call from Ms Kershaw around 18:00 GMT on 18 January, reporting that Barnard had struck her lip. Barnard was apprehended on suspicion of common assault, brought in for questioning, and subsequently released at 22:50, with no additional measures taken. On the subsequent day—the day of the murder—police safeguarding personnel and an independent domestic violence adviser attempted to contact her mobile phone three times to ascertain her well-being, but the calls remained unanswered, according to police. Barnard later approached an officer outside the Great Yarmouth police station just before 09:00 on 20 January, stating: “I think I’ve killed my partner.” A post-mortem examination determined that Ms Kershaw’s demise was consistent with compression applied to the neck, and evidence of injuries to her neck bones from three separate incidents was discovered. Norfolk Police had previously self-referred the matter to the IOPC. In a statement, it declared: “As the IOPC is independently investigating this incident we cannot comment on specific details. The constabulary continues to co-operate with the IOPC.”