Police hit back after ‘failings’ rap

Scotland Yard has hit back at criticism of the way it dealt with a killer left free to murder a grandmother in the street.

The force failed to carry out a Police National Computer (PNC) check on Nicola Edgington, who called 999 five times to warn
police she might hurt someone.

Edgington, 32, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 37 years for murdering Sally Hodkin, 58, and trying to kill artist Kerry Clark, 22.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission said the computer check would have revealed that Edgington had a
violent history and had killed her mother six years before.

But Commander Neil Basu said:“The officers acted on the facts in front of them. A PNC check alone would not have prevented the actions that Edgington subsequently took.”