WHEN Jan Parker-Cass met her daughter Laura Harrison’s boyfriend for the first time, she instantly got a bad feeling about him.
Laura met Jonathon Robinson, 31, in a rehabilitation centre during her recovery for alcohol addiction.
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The ex-con had bragged about being in jail for armed robbery and 63-year-old Jan was worried for Laura’s safety. Tragically, her mother’s instincts were right.
In August 2018, just seven months after she left the facility, evil Robinson strangled the 36-year-old mum-of-two and stabbed her in a frenzied attack in his flat.
Even after Laura had died, Robinson continued his vile assault, stabbing her lifeless body.
He inflicted fractures to her nose, neck and two ribs, eighteen stab wounds to her body and a slash wound to her face.
When paramedics arrived, the callous killer described her as “my bitch of a girlfriend”.
In 2019, at Leeds Crown Court, Robinson was sentenced to life in prison for murder, with a minimum of 21 years.
Now Jan, a customer assistant from Middlesborough, says there were “countless missed opportunities” to prevent her daughter’s murder.
She says: “Laura should never have been placed with a violent criminal.
“There were so many missed opportunities by professionals that could have prevented the murder of my beautiful daughter if those opportunities were acted upon, and the processes in place had been followed.
“I carry these with me every day for the rest of my life.”
A recent review involving Durham Tees Valley Community Rehabilitation Company, Cleveland Police and adult services at Middlesbrough Council has identified lessons to be learned from failings surrounding Laura’s untimely death.
The report called for better collaboration between agencies tasked with protecting victims of domestic abuse, like Laura.
The panel also highlighted delays in the processes aimed at safeguarding those at risk.
Jan adds: “Everyone involved with the welfare of my daughter needs to learn lessons and implement recommendations from this report, so this does not happen again in the future.”
Lies over bruises
Laura met Robinson in January 2018 at a mixed gender rehabilitation centre while undergoing recovery from alcohol addiction she had suffered since 2014.
Jan instantly took an instant dislike to him.
She remembers: “He was spinning lie after lie. He said he’d been in jail before, but failed to mention it was for threatening a student with an axe.
“It was a major red flag. I was so worried.”
Unbeknownst to her family, in the run up to her death, Robinson had subjected Laura to physical and psychological abuse and she had been hospitalised in July 2018.
Jan remembers: “She was covered in bruises but lied, claiming a wardrobe had fallen on her.
“I suspected Jonathon was to blame but Laura didn’t say.
“Afterwards she went back to him and I begged her to leave him, over and over.
“I told her ‘he’s going to kill you one of these days’ but she always saw the best in everyone.”
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The following month Robinson brutally murdered her at his flat.
Jan believes Robinson should never have been placed in the same rehab as her vulnerable daughter.
He was already on the Clare’s Law register – which details previous history of domestic violence – for abusing a former partner, but none of Laura’s family knew this.
Jan explains: “Eventually, Laura tried to leave him but he lied, telling her he only had six months to live due to a ‘bad heart’.
“She was a kind, caring person and he played on this. Knowing she’d want to help.
“We discovered she only received the Clare’s Law document a month before she was killed. We knew nothing about his violent background.
“It’s heartbreaking we couldn’t protect her.”
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Delayed warning
The review said, at the time of Laura’s murder, there was a delay in the process to consider Clare’s Law disclosures.
According to the report, Laura was offered support but it was considered there was not enough evidence to prosecute Robinson.
Yet Robinson had a significant criminal background, including a jail sentence for armed robbery, as well as threats and intimidation to a former partner.
I told her ‘he’s going to kill you one of these days’ but she always saw the best in everyone
Jan Parker-Cass
The report said multi-agency meetings held prior to Robinson’s placement in the rehabilitation centre ‘were not effective in sharing sufficient information’ to identify the risk that he posed of developing ‘unhealthy relationships’ there.
The review also considered the issue of mixed gender residential rehabilitation and did not conclude that it was inappropriate ‘per-se’.
But it added: ‘However, much more must be done to ensure that predatory perpetrators such as this are recognised for the danger that they present.’
One of the recommendations of the report was that police officers who are investigating domestic abuse cases should monitor ongoing cases to identify new relationships so that early safeguarding referrals can be made.
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How you can get help
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
In conclusion, the review panel said they had identified a number of areas which must be acted upon to improve the safeguarding of women at risk.
Jan says: “I’ve been reassured that changes across agencies will be made.
“I’m glad Laura’s death hasn’t been in vain and I hope it won’t happen again to another innocent victim.
“But it doesn’t bring my beautiful daughter back.
“I miss her every day and the pain never goes away.”
Since her daughter’s death, Jan is campaigning for Laura’s Law, to prevent mixed rehab centres.
The petition can be signed here.
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