A date has been set for a review into the case of how a man was able to shoot dead his estranged wife and son whilst he was banned from going near them.

Alan Pemberton shot dead his wife Julia and their son William, before turning the gun on himself. Mrs Pemberton was known to be a victim of domestic violence and, despite a 999-call in which she announced herself to have “about one minute before I die” there was a delay of several hours before policemen arrived on the scene.

The review is commissioned by the West Berkshire Safer Communities Partnership, and will be conducted by the former chief of social services, commencing on the 1st October. As well as considering this case, the review will draw on other high profile murder cases, such as that of Clare Burnal, shot dead in Harvey Nichols last week by a man who had pleaded guilty to harassing her only a fortnight before.

The review is believed to be the first of its kind commissioned in the UK, and will aim to understand what the high risk signs are in cases like these and to inform all appropriate agencies of what these signs are. Thames Valley Police said “A risk assessment process will help officers to identify which victims are high risk and need to be prioritised”.

Posted by Lynne Miles on 19 September 2005, at 4:34 PM