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A probe has been launched into the actions of police who failed to stop a man with a history of domestic violence from murdering his estranged wife.
Rebecca McPhee, 47, was killed by Paul Holmes, 50, in January after he smashed his way into her home and stabbed her 21 times.
Between January 2010 and December last year Rebecca called police nine times to report incidents of violence against her by Holmes.
In December last year Holmes was arrested for allegedly grabbing Ms McPhee by the throat.
He was bailed and told by officers not to go near his wife, but was again found outside her home in Southport, Merseyside, on 22nd December.
On 5th January this year - the day Holmes killed his wife - he was told he would not face any charges.
In early 2011 Rebecca approached the Vulnerable Victims team at Sefton Council and asked to be rehoused away from her husband.
She was moved to an address in Southport, while Holmes went to Toxteth in Liverpool.
Rebecca fell in love with Holmes in 2009 while he grieving the death of his brother Kevin, who had been killed in an arson attack.
They married in February 2010 but within months Rebecca made the first of nine calls to Merseyside Police to report incidents of domestic violence.
Holmes, from Toxteth, Liverpool, denied murdering Rebecca but was found guilty by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court and jailed for life on 12th July 2012.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has launched an investigation into the contact Merseyside Police officers had with the couple in the incidents leading up to Rebecca's death.
Merseyside Police made a referral to the IPCC in January, but the investigation was put on hold pending the conclusion of Holmes' trial.
IPCC Commissioner Ms Naseem Malik said: "This was a terrible tragedy and my sympathies go out to Ms McPhee's family and friends.
"The IPCC has investigated a number of cases where domestic abuse has been an issue and we have identified trends nationally around how police forces conduct risk assessments, the sharing of information and interaction with other agencies.
"It is with these trends in mind that we will examine how Merseyside Police handled the reported incidents to determine whether the appropriate action was taken."
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