Robert Trigg case: Timeline of the fight for justice by

2003 – Robert Trigg is cautioned for common assault against girlfriend Susan Holland.

– He meets Caroline Devlin in a pub and they start dating.

March 26, 2006 – Ms Devlin is found dead in bed, aged 35, by one of her children on Mother’s Day in Cranworth Road, Worthing. A post mortem examination finds she died from natural causes so there is no inquest.

March 2011 – Trigg is arrested and cautioned for assaulting Susan Nicholson, who he met at an alcohol rehabilitation centre.

April 17 – Ms Nicholson is found dead on the sofa in her home in Rowlands Road, Worthing, aged 52.

December 8 – Coroner Michael Kendall records a verdict of accidental death caused by Trigg accidentally rolling on top of her in her sleep. Police say there is no case to answer for a criminal investigation and no further action will be taken.

January 12, 2012 – Ms Nicholson’s parents Peter and Elizabeth Skelton write to Sussex Police’s then Chief Constable Martin Richards to ask for her death to continue to be investigated.

March 1 – Mr Skelton questions the police about the circumstances of the death and is told the queries were “valid” but “not significant” and amounted to a “matter of opinion”. He is told the investigation will not be reopened.

October 3 – The force’s professional standards department review the investigation, revealing the unusual circumstances, Trigg’s links to Ms Devlin’s unexplained death and his history of domestic violence gave cause to investigate further and the prospect of considering Trigg as a suspect was discussed.

October 4 – The Skeltons are told the review found there was “no evidence of misconduct and the matter was properly investigated.”

– The couple complain to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

May 2013 – The police watchdog tells Sussex Police to look at the complaint again.

October 10 – A second review finds there is “insufficient evidence” of officers breaching standards of professional behaviour and no further action would be taken.

– The Skeltons appeal to the IPCC again.

December – The IPCC upholds the appeal for a second time and tell the force to review the handling of the complaint again.

October 2014 – Trigg starts dating Deirdre Loveridge but she reports him to police when he becomes abusive. He is convicted of harassment and handed a restraining order.

October 20 – The force maintains the investigation was “evidence led, appropriate and reasonable”.

November – The Skeltons make their third appeal to the IPCC.

December 9 – The police watchdog says the force has “at last” conducted an adequate investigation of the complaint.

2015 – The family spend £10,000 of their life savings employing lawyers and pay for independent reviews of the post-mortems by doctor Nathaniel Cary – one of the country’s most senior pathologists who was involved in the Hillsborough inquiry. He finds Ms Devlin was suffocated when her head was pushed into the bed and she had a head injury.

June 2016 – The force reopens the investigation into Trigg after being presented with new findings by the Skeltons.

August – Trigg starts a relationship with Caroline Yarwood.

– The Skeltons ask at least three times over the next few months to meet Sussex police and crime commissioner Katy Bourne in person. They turn down offers of a phone call because they are hard of hearing and continue to request a meeting in person.

November – Trigg is questioned by police as a suspect for the first time.

December – He attacks Ms Yarwood and is charged with assault, harassment as well as the murder of Ms Nicholson and the manslaughter of Ms Devlin.

July 5 – Trigg is found guilty of murder and manslaughter. Sussex Police apologises to the victims’ families and said it is “considering” a review of how the cases are handled.

July 6 – Trigg is jailed for at least 25 years. The force refers the case to the IPCC and say the relatives will be offered compensation.

July 7 – The Skeltons are invited to meet Mrs Bourne in person.

July 13 – Sussex Police says it will carry out a fourth internal review of the investigations which means officers will not be investigated by the police watchdog. The force later decides the reviews will be independently carried out by Thames Valley Police and Surrey Police.

October – The Safer West Sussex Partnership launches a domestic homicide review into the deaths.

November – The senior coroner for West Sussex asks the Attorney General to quash the original inquest of Ms Nicholson and order a new one.

February 2018 – Thames Valley Police finds “missed opportunities” in Sussex Police’s original investigations and this is referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct – formerly the IPCC.

– Surrey Police is set to review how the Skeltons’ complaints were handled.

– The domestic homicide review continues, with findings due to be published by the end of the year.



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