A detective chief inspector told an inquest that “no one” who saw the contents of a rucksack found weeks before the death of a young woman could “reasonably argue they were not weapons that could cause serious harm”.
Detective Chief Inspector Claudia Musson, from Derbyshire Constabulary, told the inquest into the death of Gracie Spinks that the bag, which had three knives, a hammer, an axe, Viagra and a note saying ‘don’t lie’ in it, found on May 6 2021 – weeks before Gracie was stabbed to death on June 18 2021 – showed intent to carry out sexual violence.
Her comments came the day after two police officers and a former sergeant told the inquest at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court they had assumed the bag of weapons – found on a farm track by dog walker Anna White close to the stables where Gracie was later killed – were bushcraft or woodwork tools and did not investigate further.
Gracie, 23, is believed to have been killed by her colleague Michael Sellers, 35, as she tended to her horse at Blue Lodge Farm in Duckmanton, Derbyshire.
Sellers, who had earlier been reported to the police for stalking and harassing Gracie and had also given unwanted attention to eight other women, took his own life 150 metres away from the scene after he is believed to have stabbed her 10 times.
DCI Musson said she appreciated that Pc Jill Lee-Liggett and Pc Ashley Downing, the two officers assigned to respond to Ms White’s 101 call about the bag, did not have the same amount of experience as she did, but she said the collection of items were clearly a “concern”.
She said: “They were weapons and there’s the obvious concerns about the note, but my concern was it was a bag of weapons with Viagra and that gives you sexual intent and a weapon to be used in violence. That was my take.
“I’m fully aware I am a detective of some years with the benefit of time and experience compared to the officers so I have to put myself in their shoes as much as I can, but I don’t think anyone who saw the items could reasonably argue they are not weapons that could cause harm.”
It seems OK to me and it is in the Irish (Republic) feed on Create— DCI Musson
She said it would have been “proportionate” for the officers to go to the location that Ms White had found the bag and carry out house-to-house enquiries of the properties nearby, including Blue Lodge Farm.
Explaining why, she said: “The rucksack is completely out of place in that location.
“I understand what the officers said in relation to bushcraft and I accept that an axe could mean people were chopping wood, but all those items together is a concern.
“You would make some enquiries about the items found. You have got to give some information to allow people to make an assessment but at the same time you don’t want to tell them everything.
“I would certainly have said ‘we found a bag with possible weapons’ and if they saw anything suspicious or if they had problems with anybody.”
DCI Musson said she would also have expected that the officers who visited Ms White’s home make notes – something they told the inquest yesterday they did not do, because the bag was being treated as found property rather than being linked to a crime.
The inquest also heard from Ms White, who said she was “totally stunned at the lack of reaction” from the two officers about the bag, which she had taken back to her house after discovering it.
She said the pair were at her home for around 20 minutes and told her it would go to lost property rather than be investigated further, despite her concerns that the contents could be used to hurt someone.
She said: “The officers came into the kitchen, put gloves on and opened the bag. I asked what would be done with it and I was told it would probably go to lost property.
“One of the officers mentioned it might be for geocaching or something and I remember thinking ‘no’.
“In my head at the time, I thought they would be able to find who the bag belonged to because of DNA on the water bottle in it and I was told no, that won’t happen.
“I think at the time, not knowing what was going to occur, I thought I was doing the right thing by taking it to the police.”
The inquest continues.
