Jury reaches ‘unlawfully killing’ conclusion in case involving self-inflicted death following domestic abuse

[IwantToRetire]

(I'm really only posting this because this is a "first" and for some reason isn't being reported very widely)
Kellie Sutton was a 30-year old mother of three. In March 2017 she started seeing Steven Gane who subjected her to physical and psychological domestic abuse from the start of their relationship. Kellie was discovered unconscious on 23 August 2017, having hanged herself, and was pronounced dead in hospital three days later.Steven Gane was subsequently convicted of assault and coercive and controlling behaviour of Kellie Sutton, but was not prosecuted for manslaughter.Following a two week hearing, an inquest jury has returned a short form conclusion of ‘unlawful killing’, on the basis that the coercive and controlling conduct to which Kellie was subjected was an ‘unlawful act’ which had caused her to take her own life and amounted to unlawful act manslaughter. The jury also made findings for Article 2 purposes that failings of Hertfordshire Police officers following a domestic abuse call-out in July 2017 may have contributed to Kellie’s death.The inquest was held following the quashing of an earlier inquest that had returned a short form conclusion of suicide.The jury’s conclusion is believed to be the first ‘unlawful killing’ conclusion in a case of self-inflicted death following domestic abuse.

https://www.brickcourt.co.uk/news/detail/jury-reaches-unlawfully-killing-conclusion-in-case-involving-self-inflicted-death-following-domestic-abuse

There was some coverage on C4 news a couple of days ago:
https://www.channel4.com/news/groundbreaking-ruling-in-uk-domestic-abuse-case
https://www.channel4.com/news/kellie-sutton-ruling-very-significant-move-says-former-victims-commissioner

Kellie Sutton told police that she was ‘very frightened’ of her abusive partner Steven Gane, just weeks before she took her own life.

That's so sad, the poor woman. To feel that killing herself was the only way to make it stop.

I know, its just horrendous.

I just thought there would be more coverage because I think DV projects have been saying this for years, that they suspect many women are driven to suicide by their violent male partner.

Not made any better that the police just ignored her.

There's probably a better link than this one ie DV campaigners have been agitating for this type of verdict being brought is so was surprised not to hear more about it.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/feb/27/suicide-by-domestic-violence-call-to-count-the-hidden-toll-of-womens-lives

Utterly tragic 😢

She met him in March and she was dead in August.

It didn't take long for the bastard to grind her down.

Poor, poor woman.

And the impact on her children.

That's shocking that he was able to wreak that much havoc in that woman's life in such a small time frame. I really don't understand having that much hatred for someone.

He got 4 years and that was in 2018. He'd be out already. Absolutely horrifying.