‘Harassed’ woman pleaded for police help days before double shooting

A “PESTERED and harassed” woman made appeals to the police less than two weeks before she and her toddler daughter were shot dead, it has been revealed.
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Jun 2011, 07:00 BST

Christine Chambers contacted officers on May 27 in the latest of a catalogue of two years of contact with Essex Police, initial investigations by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) found.

Ms Chambers, 38, and two-year-old Shania were found dead early yesterday following a stand-off between police and a gunman inside their home in Bartram Avenue, Braintree, Essex.

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The police watchdog said it was “still collating” previous contact between Ms Chambers and officers as formal investigations were launched.

In her last statement to police, Ms Chambers reported that she was being “pestered and harassed”, the IPCC said.

Commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said: “Nobody could fail to have been shocked by what happened in Braintree and my thoughts are with Christine and Shania’s family.

“Our independent investigation will focus on the previous reports to police and how they responded.”

A man named locally as David Oakes, 50, the woman’s former partner, is under police guard at a nearby hospital after treatment for non-life threatening injuries.

Related topics:Essex