Scott Clifford, 34, battered his girlfriend Natasha Hill, 18, to death
(Picture: Metropolitan Police)The family of a vulnerable 18-year-old woman have said “20 agencies” who knew of her case should have protected her from a man who beat her to death.
Scott Clifford, then 34, inflicted more than 50 injuries and fatal head trauma on his girlfriend Natasha Hill when he attacked her in 2018, causing her death.
Clifford was jailed for 18 years for murder after a court hearing in 2019. After killing Ms Hill at his grandfather’s home in Thamesmead, he called paramedics and claimed that the victim had fallen down the stairs - but he was spotted attempting to wash his clothes as they tried to save her life.
On Monday, it was reported that the victim’s family appealed at a pre-inquest review to a London coroner to open a full inquest on the grounds that authorities should have better protected her. They said "20 different agencies,” knew of Ms Hill - who grew up in care.
Inner London Coroners’ Court was told that she had a "coercive and controlling" relationship with Clifford, who had carried out two previous attacks on her.
The family’s lawyer said Ms Hill had been in hospital a number of times after being assaulted by Clifford but the abuse was not picked up or acted upon.
Emma-Louise Fenelon, the lawyer, said: "It's the fact that Natasha, aged four, was taken into care and became a looked-after child and in the final 12 months of her life had been involved with 20 agencies; all of which had their own safeguarding and policies of protection owed to her. She struck up a relationship with someone known to be previously violent. That was all known to authorities.”
Essex County Council, who looked after Ms Hill as she was growing up, are one of the bodies subject to scrutiny in a potential inquest. The authority said proceedings would serve "no useful purpose" but would assist the coroner.
A full inquest, though, has been opened for January 4, 2023. Before then, a domestic homicide review will be completed by the end of this year to establish what, if any, lessons have been learned from the ordeal. Evidence will be gathered by Essex Police, the Metropolitan Police and Essex County Council.
