CPS urged to charge partner of woman who died by suicide

Domestic abuse charities and campaigners have urged police and prosecutors to reconsider criminal charges against a man who was found by a coroner to have driven his partner to suicide after an alleged decade of physical and mental abuse.

- Hannah Al-Othman

At an inquest into the death of 32-year-old Georgia Barter in Walthamstow, east London, earlier this month, assistant coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe recorded a verdict of unlawful killing.

“On or around 5 April 2020 [Georgia] had been assaulted by her long-term partner, who had been violent towards her on a number of occasions during their relationship,” Radcliffe said.

“There was clear evidence of her being an individual with a psychiatric history of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression which had been exacerbated by her partner’s behaviour.”

The inquest heard that although her former partner, Thomas Bignell, had previously been arrested on several occasions, and had contact with at least four different police forces, he was never charged with any violent offences against Georgia.