Soap Star Sian Blake Was Beaten To Death: Was Police Investigation Bungled?
Former British soap actress Sian Blake disappeared on December 16. Sian was reported missing with her two sons, 8-year-old Zachary and 4-year-old Amon. Police were initially worried about the family’s safety because 43-year-old Sian suffered from motor neurone disease. Former Eastenders actress Blake was reported missing by her partner, 48-year-old Arthur Simpson-Kent, but he went missing himself three days later.
Sadly, BBC News reported the tragic news has been released that police located Sian’s body, along with the bodies of her children buried in the back garden of her home in Kent. As a result, the Metropolitan Police launched a murder enquiry with Simpson-Kent, who is considered the prime suspect. He was the father of Blake’s children.
Police confirm three bodies found in Kent garden are those of EastEnders actress Sian Blake and her two children https://t.co/zRyZMdRmrb
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) January 7, 2016
According to Sky News, a post-mortem examination has now been carried out on the bodies of Blake and her children. The examination found that Sian and the children all died from head and neck injuries. This suggests that Blake and her children were beaten to death.
The bodies of Blake and the children were found after police used cadaver-sniffing dogs in a search of Sian’s home. The dogs indicated “areas of interest,” and a search revealed the remains of Sian and her children. Police say that “significant attempts” had been made to conceal the bodies.
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Sky News also reports that Sian’s sister Ava Blake has revealed that Sian intended to leave her partner.
“[Sian] was planning to leave Mr Simpson-Kent over Christmas and wanted to end the relationship ‘a long time ago.’
“She had asked to come back home and we said yes, so we really tried to plan on getting her to move back home.”
Ava Blake also revealed that she had been sent text messages after Sian had disappeared, but she had suspected that they were not from her. She also claims that Sian had recently changed from the “vivacious, happy person she once was.”
Scotland Yard says ex-EastEnders actress Sian Blake & two sons died from head/neck injuries https://t.co/fujvPFO0GC pic.twitter.com/hXaAqzYDpd
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 8, 2016
It has emerged that a relative of Sian’s called the NSPCC on December 16 to raise concerns about domestic violence in Blake’s home life. It appears that domestic violence has spilled over into murder. BBC News reports that the Metropolitan Police referred its investigation to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). Since the police had information that domestic violence may be an issue, Blake’s should have been classified as a “high-risk missing person” and searches of her home and the surrounding area should have been carried out immediately.
Arthur Simpson-Kent still in Ghana after flying there on December 19, @itvnews understands https://t.co/hrt9NY9ACy pic.twitter.com/whGPVvRtuq
— ITV News (@itvnews) January 7, 2016
Given that Blake’s partner, Simpson-Kent, disappeared three days after reporting Sian missing, alarm bells should have been ringing, but the murder squad did not get involved in Sian’s case until January 4.
According to the Daily Mail police investigating Sian’s murder are concentrating on finding Simpson-Kent, who is believed to have fled to Ghana.
It is being reported that Mr. Simpson-Kent was caught on camera at Kotoka Airport in the Ghanaian capital Accra on December 19, three days after he was questioned by police following Ms. Blake’s disappearance. He is believed to have flown to West Africa via Glasgow and Amsterdam.
Despite Blake’s partner being in Ghana, it seems that police went to search the home of Mr. Simpson-Kent’s ex-wife in the South of France. Simpson-Kent’s former wife, 47-year-old Dominique Deblieux, condemned the police search as a waste of time and resources.
“This is a ridiculous waste of police resources. He’s in Ghana, not hiding in my back garden.”
The police investigation into Blake’s disappearance will now be investigated by the IPCC to identify any failings in the quality of the police response. An IPCC spokesman confirmed the investigation and sympathized with Ms. Blake’s family.
“The loss of Sian and her two young boys Zachary and Amon, is a tragedy and my thoughts are with their family during this very difficult time.
“The IPCC will be conducting a thorough investigation into how police responded to the concerns for their welfare and their disappearance.”
[Photo by Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images]
