Lousia Ovington independent investigation report ... - NHS North East

CHAPTER 5 – INVOLVEMENT WITH POLICE AND PROBATION
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All the courts before which Louisa Ovington appeared in relation to the offences
were Magistrates’ courts, except for the manslaughter. Magistrates’ courts hear
cases of crimes committed in their particular district. Louisa Ovington was convicted
of offences in Easington (Peterlee) court three times, in South Durham court twice,
in Durham court once, in Newcastle upon Tyne court once, in Hartlepool court four
times, in Teesside court once, in North Durham court twice and in Sedgefield court
once.
The sentencing varied. For a group of seven offences she received a Hospital Order -
that is, she was ordered to be detained in a psychiatric hospital. The courts imposed
three separate “probation orders” known as CROs/ COs. On two occasions (prior to
the killing) she had knives forfeited and destroyed. She was conditionally discharged
on eight occasions, (four of which were part of the same group of convictions). She
was, variously, fined (small amounts), ordered to pay compensation and detained for
one day (the longest custodial sentence she actually received until the conviction for
manslaughter).
Including the offences for which she was charged, the police, in information collated
for the trial, noted that Louisa Ovington had, in a period of eight years ending in
January 2006, a total of seventy-four ‘interactions’ with Durham Constabulary. She
made large numbers of nuisance 999 calls, often when seriously intoxicated, about
which she was warned. She made numerous complaints about Mr Hilton and
allegations about his behaviour to her, (as well as making unfounded allegations
against others) and on five occasions reported that she had attacked or killed
Mr Hilton, or threatened to do so. There were complaints from others about the
disturbances she caused. In 2004 in particular her behaviour was especially disturbed.
At one point the policeman concerned was moved to record that Louisa Ovington and
Mr Hilton were two people in a very volatile relationship and the police feared that
“one day one will seriously assault the other.”
On very many of the occasions when the police had contact with Louisa Ovington they
noted that she was seriously intoxicated.
The police response
DS1 investigated the homicide; until then he had had no dealings with Louisa
Ovington. As part of his investigations he commissioned detailed ‘timelines” of Louisa
Ovington’s involvement with the police from 1998 and of relevant community (health
and social care) information from 1996. He chaired the Domestic Homicide Review.