Overview

• Inspector Bruce Wilkinson admitted he wrongly issued a community resolution notice instead of a protection order, allowing Veronique John to return home hours before she killed her two children
• Dr Gillian Bennett testified that Mrs John’s June 11 Google searches on murder charges and overdose methods showed calculated intent despite her later claiming she understood her actions were wrong
• An internal review branded the force’s service level “inadequate,” highlighting failures in risk assessment, custody mental-health screening and adherence to domestic-abuse guidelines
• Coroner Emma Serrano was told a domestic violence protection notice could have prevented Mrs John from returning to her family home for 48 hours after she admitted assaulting her husband
• Mrs John, now under an indefinite hospital order, had a documented history of depression and trauma that was not fully addressed during her initial custody assessment