'Missed opportunities' before girl, 14, killed man

"Missed opportunities" possibly contributed to the death of a man who was unlawfully killed when he was stabbed by a violent 14-year-old girl, a coroner concluded.

Nimroy Hendricks died after the teenager - only identified as Child A because of reporting restrictions - stabbed him in the chest in October 2020 at an address in the Three Bridges area of Crawley, West Sussex.

Senior Coroner Penelope Schofield identified failures from both Sussex Police and West Sussex County Council over the death of Mr Hendricks, a 24-year-old musician.

She said that had "additional safeguarding measures" been put in place for the girl then Mr Hendricks might still be alive today.

Sussex Police said "no evidence of wrongdoing or misconduct" by the force had been found.

The inquest heard that in the early hours of 27 October 2020, police left Child A with a female who they believed to be a family member who would be responsible for her.

However, officers did not realise that this person - who had a criminal record and claimed to be a cousin - was not a relative as assumed, and was not living at the address given.

Just hours later Child A killed Mr Hendricks - who was known to her family - after he visited the address.

The coroner added that it had also not been possible to contact Child A's social worker on that day and "an arranged urgent strategy meeting to consider her recent deterioration and issues relating to her living arrangements had not taken place".

"Had these matters been addressed, the perpetrator may not have been in a position to carry out the act which led to Mr Hendricks' death," she said.

Earlier this month West Sussex, Brighton & Hove Coroner's Court heard how Child A - who is now 19 - had a history of violent crime and mental health issues.

She had also threatened to stab her mother in the neck hours before attacking Mr Hendricks, for whose manslaughter she was sentenced to five years in jail in 2022.

Mr Hendricks' mother, Lisa, called him "deeply caring and so kind", adding that the family had not only lost their son but their best friend too.

Criticising the failings which may have led to his death, she said: "It's appalling that such a trail of devastation has ended in the loss of an innocent young man's life, all because those who could and should have intervened in practical and meaningful ways simply did not."

Mrs Hendricks added: "As a family we are relieved beyond words that [Child A] will at last be in a position to receive whatever interventions are necessary to keep her and the public safe."

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: "We have fully supported the coronial process, which rightly scrutinised the involvement we and other partner agencies had with Child A prior to Mr Hendricks' death.

"We acknowledge the inquest conclusion, which found no causative link between the death and the police actions.

"The Independent Office for Police Conduct investigated the case after it was referred by Sussex Police and they found no evidence of wrongdoing or misconduct by the force."

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