16 Oct Inquest touching on the death of Chenise Gregory: Jury finds state failures to properly monitor her partner, a convicted sex offender, may have contributed to her death by unlawful killing

Before HM Assistant Coroner Edmund Gritt
South London Coroner’s Court
7 – 15 October 2024

Gold Jennings represented the family of Chenise Gregory, 29, who died at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate on 4 May 2021 having suffered 22 stab wounds inflicted by her partner, Michael McGibbon. After killing Chenise, McGibbon then took his own life.

Chenise was born in Brixton and leaves behind three siblings. Her family describe her as a friendly, active and polite person. She had a big personality and loved baking. She had a passion for caring for others and worked as a nursery assistant.

Chenise began a relationship with McGibbon in 2013 prior to his conviction for rape of a female stranger in 2016. Prison and Probation Services suspected that Chenise was vulnerable, and that McGibbon was both manipulative and controlling of her from even prior to his release from prison. Chenise’s previously happy and outgoing personality changed while she was in a relationship with McGibbon. He exerted extreme and domineering control over her life and the jury heard evidence of physical abuse perpetrated by McGibbon towards Chenise.

In February 2019, McGibbon was released from prison and was monitored by state agencies, including the police and probation service, at MAPPA Level 2 (active inter-agency management). Agencies determined that disclosure of the details of McGibbon’s rape offence and previous offending should be made to Chenise, but this did not in fact happen.

McGibbon was recalled in April 2019 after a series of warnings had been issued about his behaviour. Recall was eventually triggered when knives were found in the bedroom of his Approved Premises. McGibbon’s MAPPA level was returned to Level 1 (ordinary management).

McGibbon was re-released from prison in January 2020 at the direction of the Parole Board. His MAPPA management level was not reviewed prior to his release as it should have been due to an oversight by the Probation Service.

On 25 April 2021 McGibbon dialled 999 and reported that people in his accommodation had threatened to kill him. Police attended and assessed that McGibbon’s suspicions were false and that he was suffering from “paranoia”. Police found three knives in McGibbon’s bedroom, positioned strategically around his bed. Instead of questioning why the weapons were there, officers decided to hide them. One of these knives was identical to one found later in McGibbon’s hand at the murder scene. Chenise was present in the bedroom but was not spoken to in any detail by officers who did not even ask her for her name, let alone consider the risk to her in the circumstances.

It was not until 27 April 2021 that police officers who had attended on 25 April completed an intelligence report. On 28 April an intelligence officer reviewed the report and then sent it to the wrong public protection team (so called ‘Jigsaw’ teams); instead of being sent to the Croydon Jigsaw Team which was responsible for monitoring McGibbon, it was sent to the Sutton Jigsaw Team who failed to forward it to Croydon. The jury heard evidence that had the Croydon Jigsaw Team received this report they would have immediately visited McGibbon and informed his probation officer.

The jury heard during the inquest that had his probation officer been made aware, there is a possibility that McGibbon would have been recalled to prison within 24 hours.

The jury concluded that but for the communication failings in April 2021, it is possible that Chenise might not have died. They also found that there was a failure to have a proper process in place to make sure intelligence reports reached the correct Jigsaw team.

HM Coroner has deferred his decision on the need for a Prevention of Future Deaths/Regulation 28 report pending receipt of further evidence.

Cherene Williams, Chenise’s sister said:

“Chenise will be remembered most for her big contagious smile, her curly hair and her caring heart. As a family, all we now have is memories. She wasn’t just my baby sister, but also my best friend. I treasure the 29 years we spent together and will always talk about her to my son because I never want him to forget Chenise.

As a family, we are pleased with what the jury found because it confirms what we know but it doesn’t bring her back. There has been some accountability, and we hope this means the police and probation services will do better in future. Chenise wasn’t just a number; she was a loved member of our family. We hope lessons can be learned.”

Robert Hamill, of Gold Jennings, said:

“Chenise was badly let down by the state bodies with responsibility for protecting the public from dangerous offenders such as McGibbon. Failings around risk assessments and mental health training in this case are stark and the jury were right to conclude that but for the failings of police staff Chenise possibly would not have died in such tragic circumstances. It is now incumbent on agencies to learn from these mistakes and ensure similar systemic and operational failures cannot happen again.”

Chenise’s family are represented by Maya Sikand KC of Doughty Street Chambers, Serena K. Sekhon of No5 Chambers and Robert Hamill of Gold Jennings.

For further enquiries please contact Robert Hamill on 0208 445 9268 or robert@goldjennings.co.uk.