Wimblington murder: Nigel Ebbage 'victim of coercive behaviour'

A man murdered by his ex-partner's father was "the victim of coercive and controlling behaviour", a report said.

Lance Woollard stabbed Nigel Ebbage, 35, 21 times at the latter's home in Wimblington, Cambridgeshire, in 2021.

Mr Ebbage's acquittal for an arson attack on his former partner's home during a bitter custody battle was "the catalyst" for Woollard's actions.

The report said he was "a man intent on totally controlling the situation to the detriment" of Mr Ebbage.

Woollard, 67, pleaded guilty to the murder at Cambridge Crown Court in July 2021 and was jailed for life.

Although the Fenland Community Safety Partnership domestic homicide review was anonymised, the BBC understands it relates to Mr Ebbage's death.

He and his former partner Helen Woollard had two children and were involved in a four-year custody battle.

Woollard "had an apparent dislike for [Mr Ebbage] from an early stage in his daughter's relationship with him", the report said.

By the time Ms Woollard's home was damaged in an arson attack, the couple had split up.

Her father immediately put forward Mr Ebbage as a suspect to police.

His subsequent acquittal at trial "was the catalyst to [Woollard]'s actions that followed", the report said.

The family court agreed to increase the amount of time Mr Ebbage could spend with his children.

Woollard installed tracking and listening devices on Mr Ebbage's daughter when she visited her father and he was an "overbearing and uncomfortable presence at the child handover".

The family court ordered Woollard to cease their use and to stop being present at handovers.

However, it also shared Mr Ebbage's address with Ms Woollard, because their daughter was due to spend more time at her father's home.

"Disclosing of their address through the family court to [the Woollards] raised the risk... of harm that could be caused" to Mr Ebbage and his partner, the report said.

It said Mr Ebbage was "the victim of coercive and controlling behaviour" by his murderer who had "intimate knowledge of Daniel's movements and whereabouts".

While he was "viewed quite rightly as a perpetrator of domestic abuse" during the police investigation, at no point was it considered Mr Ebbage "was at risk" from Woollard.

In a number of recommendations, it said frontline staff involved with domestic abuse cases should receive a "case study briefing" to "ensure that they consider the risks where wider family members are exhibiting stalking and coercive and controlling behaviour".

It also said Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's family court judge should be briefed "on the dangers of providing home addresses to all parties in proceedings".

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