Police failings ‘materially contributed’ to murders of Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem
Multiple failures by West Midlands Police officers “materially contributed” to the deaths of a woman and her mother who were murdered by the daughter’s abusive estranged husband, an inquest has found.
Raneem Oudeh, 22, and her mother, Khaola Saleem, were stabbed to death outside Mrs Saleem’s home in Solihull in August 2018.
They were murdered as Ms Oudeh was on the phone to West Midlands Police, one of several 999 calls she had made to report how scared she was of Janbaz Tarin, her estranged husband.
Tarin admitted the murders and was jailed for life with a minimum of 32 years in December 2018.
The inquest has heard evidence of police call-outs to Ms Oudeh’s address on seven separate occasions in the weeks leading up to the murders.
Recordings of 999 calls were played to the inquest jury, where she was told “go to your Mum’s, lock the door, and we will see you tomorrow.”
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One of the several desperate 999 calls, Ms Oudeh made
She had reported threats to kill, violence and stalking, but officers failed to arrest or investigate Tarin before the murders.
Weeks before he murdered her, she had left her husband after discovering he had three children and a secret wife who was pregnant with a fourth child in Afghanistan.
The inquest was told that in the months leading up to the stabbings Ms Oudeh called 999 14 times to report incidents of domestic abuse which included threats to kill her and to stab her and yet repeatedly police did not log these reports correctly, did not follow up on them correctly, and did not assess them correctly.
West Midlands Police on Friday admitted frankly, “we should have done more,” and said Raneem and Khaola’s family’s dignity throughout the inquest “has been humbling”.
An investigation by the Independent Office for Police Conduct found there were “missed opportunities”.
Read more: Catalogue of police failures and missed opportunities that led to deaths of two women
Janbaz Tarin was pepper-sprayed by police during his arrest. Pic: West Midlands Police
Ms Oudeh had also told family members, Tarin had threatened her, saying “if you leave me, I will kill you and your family”.
She had been living with Tarin and her two-year-old son from a previous relationship, but neighbours say she had moved back to her mother’s house after a series of rows.
Tarin continued to harass and threaten her, sleeping outside Mrs Saleem’s house for 12 consecutive nights.
On the night of the murder in August 2018 the pair were seen on CCTV arguing in a shisha lounge in Birmingham.
Ms Oudeh, who was with her mother as the argument escalated, was seen on the footage calling 999, her first of four calls to police that night.
Tarin was kicked out by staff, but moments later drove past in his van, indicating a cutting motion across his neck towards Ms Oudeh.
The women both died of multiple stab wounds
He then drove to his father’s supermarket and hid a 12-inch steak knife in his waistband before leaving.
His van was captured on CCTV driving towards Mrs Saleem’s home in Solihull.
At 12.26am, Ms Oudeh made the last of her calls to police that evening to say she would be at the Solihull address.
Ten minutes later, they called her back to say officers would call her the following morning to go through the incident.
During that call screaming could be heard in the background, with the words “he’s there, there, there”.
There were further screams before the call went silent.
The women both died of multiple stab wounds during a frenzied attack.
Raneem Oudeh (left) and Khaola Saleem (right)
Tarin fled the scene, but was arrested days later following a major manhunt.
Kinaan Saleem, 19, Mrs Saleem’s daughter, who was babysitting Ms Oudeh’s son and witnessed the murder, told Sky News: “I was just about to go to bed until I heard screaming, loads of screaming.
“I looked outside my window and I saw my mother already on the floor and my sister standing next to the perpetrator and he did his killing and dropped his knife and went to the van.”
Kinaan was just 14 years old at the time.
“Until this day, it’s been really hard to deal with,” she said.
Kinaan Saleem (right) witnessed the murder. Nour Norris (left) says the family blame the police
“It’s just really hard to cope. From the first call to a police officer, it could have been prevented. Knowing that she actually cried for help and begged for them, and they did not come at all.”
Nour Norris, Mrs Saleem’s sister and Ms Oudeh’s aunt, said: “It’s like watching a horror movie in slow motion as we head to the inevitable conclusion.”
“It was devastating to us because we’d never heard those calls before. Raneem was very clear,” she told Sky News.
She said the family were “very deeply disappointed, very angry, mixed emotions. We are very concerned today about domestic abuse victims and what is happening to them”.
“We do blame the police because the proof of the inquest has shown very clear that the system is failing miserably,” she added.
“The death of my sister and my niece could have been prevented.”
A man believed to be the victim after human remains were found in a Salford nature reserve has been named as Stuart Everett.
Police said DNA samples had been sent for urgent analysis to formally confirm the victim’s identity.
Mr Everett, 67, lived in the local area.
A major investigation started after a torso wrapped in plastic was found at Kersal Dale Wetlands on 4 April.
More remains were discovered at the weekend in the Greater Manchester area – at Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, and on Monday in an alleyway in Eccles.
Police said they were confident they all belong to the same person.
Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski, 68, and Marcin Majerkiewicz, 42, from Eccles, were yesterday charged with murder.
They are due to appear at Manchester Crown Court this morning.
A torso was found at Kersal Dale on 4 April. Pics: PA
The discovery of the torso four weeks ago – consisting of the bottom of the back, buttocks and thigh – prompted a large search for other remains to try to identify the victim.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes said Mr Everett’s family was being supported by specially-trained officers.
“On behalf of Stuart’s loved ones, I ask the public and the press to please respect their wishes for peace and privacy while they process this most devastating news,” he said.
“My officers and detectives, alongside additional resources from across the force, have worked tirelessly over the last three days to secure charges.”
Mr Hughes thanked the public for their help and said police would leave no stone unturned “to find answers for Stuart’s family”.
UK
Hainault attack: Sword-wielding man arrested near station after ‘stabbing’ multiple people and police officers
A critical incident has been declared near a Tube station in northeast London after reports a man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and police officers.
The man, alleged to have been carrying a sword, crashed a vehicle into a house in Thurlow Gardens, before reportedly stabbing a number of people, police said.
The 36-year-old was alleged to have attacked members of the public and two police officers before eventually being arrested.
The Metropolitan Police were alerted to the incident shortly before 7am this morning.
A man wielding a sword has been arrested, police said. Pic:@ell_pht
Fire and rescue crews as well as a number of ambulances were also dispatched to the scene.
The condition of those injured isn’t currently known and officers are not looking for anymore suspects.
Hainault Tube station in Ilford has been closed by police after the incident.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said he was being updated about the incident and extended his thoughts to those affected.
Wes Streeting, the MP for Ilford North, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “A critical incident has been declared in Hainault.
“There are station and road closures in place. The police, ambulance service and fire brigade are responding.”
A man with a sword has been arrested. Pic: @petekingdom/X
@petekingdom/X
Police said the attack did not appear to be terror related.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan added: “This must have been a terrifying incident for those concerned.
“I know the wider community will be feeling shock and alarm.
“People will want to know what has happened and will we provide more information as soon as we can.”
The Metropolitan Police previously said: “Police are at an incident in the Hainault area.
“Please follow the instructions of police officers on the ground.
“A man has been arrested.”
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A former police constable who filmed his estranged wife having sex with a colleague in a Screwfix car park has avoided jail.
Gavin Harper, 45, was described as “obsessed” in court and was convicted of stalking his estranged wife, who was also a police officer.
He caught Stephanie Glynn, 40, having sex with her colleague Andrew McLullich, 42, in the car park of a Screwfix, in Birkenhead, Merseyside, after he placed a tracker on her vehicle.
Harper, from Liscard, Wirral, crept up to the vehicle and started filming at the window with his mobile phone.
Prosecutors said this was the culmination of a campaign of “obsessive, intrusive and unwanted behaviour” against Ms Glynn that lasted from December 2020 to February 2021.
The father of two was found guilty by a jury at Liverpool Crown Court last month of aggravated stalking, including secretly bugging Ms Glynn’s car, listening in on her conversations, and tracking her whereabouts.
On Monday, Judge David Potter sentenced Harper to two years in jail, suspended for two years.
The judge said that Harper would have faced immediate imprisonment but for the significant impact this would have had on his elderly parents and youngest son.
The court heard Harper cared for his elderly parents, who would “not be able to cope” without him, and his son would have been forced to give up his university studies if he was jailed.
Harper and Ms Glynn were in a six-year relationship before they married in 2018, having met working at Merseyside Police.
However, Ms Glynn left their family home in December 2020 after she became close with Mr McLullich – an acting inspector and formerly her supervising sergeant.
Speaking in court, Harper claimed he wanted “undeniable proof” of the affair. His intention, he said, was to pass the video to police as evidence of two serving officers having an inappropriate relationship during the COVID lockdown restrictions.
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Judge Potter told Harper: “I am sure you became obsessed to the point of criminality in stalking Stephanie Glynn to provide evidence of her affair to weaponise that against her for having that affair, and you also became determined to destroy the career of Andrew McLullich.
“In that obsession the feelings, embarrassment and pain felt by Stephanie Glynn were collateral damage.
“You were more concerned about your own feelings and a raging sense of injustice.”
The judge said the events in Screwfix car park “do no credit to any of the people involved”.
The court previously heard that Harper and Mr McLullich punched one another in the car park after he began filming them.
Suzanne Payne, defending, said Harper’s behaviour against Ms Glynn was “out of character and borne out of the circumstances at that time”.
She added that Ms Glynn had received a written warning over her conduct in the car park.
Ms Glynn, now divorced, was said to have been left “sickeningly anxious” as a result of Harper’s stalking, and told the jury she now “constantly looked over her shoulders”.
The judge issued Harper with a seven-year restraining order from contacting or approaching Ms Glynn and Mr McLullich.
Harper must also perform 200 hours of unpaid work and complete 20 days of rehabilitation.
The Crown offered no evidence over an allegation that Harper unlawfully wounded Mr McLullich in the Screwfix car park after jurors could not reach a verdict on that charge.
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