Four Metropolitan Police officers under investigation after two women killed by same predator

Carl Cooper was jailed for life in July for the murders of Naomi Hunte, 41, who was stabbed in the chest, and Fiona Holm, 48, whose body has never been found

Four Metropolitan Police officers are facing a misconduct investigation following the murders of two women by a man they had previously reported to the force. Carl Cooper, 66, was sentenced to life imprisonment in July for the killings of Naomi Hunte, 41, who suffered a fatal chest stab wound, and Fiona Holm, 48, whose body remains undiscovered.

Both victims had been romantically involved with handyman Cooper at different times and had reported his violent behaviour to the police. The Met Police confirmed on Wednesday that four of its officers were being investigated for misconduct relating to a complaint Ms Holm made against Cooper for assault in April 2023, as initially reported by The Times newspaper.

Despite being arrested, Cooper was not charged following the attack, the force admitted. Ms Holm, from south east London, is thought to have died approximately two months later on June 20 2023.

A review into the handling of Ms Holm's complaint concluded that a more comprehensive investigation could have identified key witnesses, potentially providing strong evidence for a prosecution against Cooper without the victim's testimony. During the murder trial, Woolwich Crown Court heard that Ms Hunte, found stabbed to death on her sofa in south east London on Valentine's Day 2022, had made several domestic callouts to police in 2020 and 2021, informing them that Cooper was "obsessed" with her.

In a police call-out to her home on June 29 2021, she told officers that Cooper "stalks me and I'm really scared now".

READ MORE: Teen in coma and has leg amputated after 100mph 'hit-and-run' crash following police chase

Met Police Commander Paul Brogden expressed his deep regret over the handling of the case, saying: "Our thoughts will always remain with Naomi Hunte and Fiona Holm, and we again extend our sincere condolences to their families as they continue to grieve for these two beloved women.

"We have always been clear that we made mistakes when dealing with allegations against Carl Cooper. For those mistakes we are extremely sorry."

He added: "These matters are currently the subject of several reviews led by the Met's directorate of professional standards. A senior officer from Lewisham met with Fiona's family to discuss the review of the missing person investigation and I would like to repeat our direct and unequivocal apology for the way they were treated when they reported her missing.

"It is a matter of enduring regret that we did not have sufficient evidence to charge Cooper sooner for the murder of Naomi. Cooper has still not revealed the location of Fiona's body. We continue our enquiries to find her so that her family can finally lay her to rest."

In July, during Cooper's sentencing, Mr Justice Johnson condemned the murderer, stating he was convinced Cooper had been a "great danger to women" throughout his life and highlighted his "history of acting in controlling and coercive manner to your female partners".

The case remains under close examination as four officers face investigation regarding Ms Hunte's April 2023 GBH complaint.

The Met stated that the case was referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which advised it should be a local investigation. However, the watchdog will review its findings.