Review after Great Waldingfield mum and daughter murder

Peter Nash, 48, was jailed for life after killing his wife Jillu Nash, 43, and daughter Louise Nash, 12, at their family home in Great Waldingfield, near Sudbury, in September 2022. 

Following the murders, a Child Safeguarding Practice Review (CSPR) was carried out and, while it states there is "no evidence" that the murders could have been "reasonably foreseen" by the agencies involved with the family, it has made 12 recommendations.

Police at the scene in September 2022 (Image: Charlotte Bond)

The review stated that Nash, who is referred to as Adam in the publication, seemed to professionals to be "a silent figure" in the household, with "no identifiable friends" and was "not in close contact with his family."

One practitioner who had known him for many years described him as “a controlling and domineering man”. 

Despite becoming the primary carer for Louise, who had autism and was non-verbal, from September 2020, professionals said he was "rarely seen" outside the home.

The report stated Mrs Nash, who is referred to as Milli, had told staff at NSFT that her husband had "subjected her to physical and emotional abuse and rape" and Suffolk Constabulary were notified in January 2021. 

It said Mrs Nash engaged with an independent domestic abuse adviser (IDVA) but "did not support police action" and so the coercion and controlling behaviour and rape allegations were closed.

At one time, the report reads, she told the IDVA she "had no fear" of Nash and felt "empowered to call the shots."

Louise's school was not informed of any disclosures of abuse, and were not invited to take part in safety planning.

When the couple agreed to separate, the report states Nash made his wife sign a written agreement that he would keep their home, savings and car. 

The agreement also prohibited Mrs Nash from taking Louise to visit her family.

The review reads: "Although Adam’s actions were shocking and were not foreseeable based on the information available to practitioners, the decision not to share Jillu's disclosure of domestic abuse with all relevant agencies involved in Louise's care meant that the risk analysis was based on incomplete intelligence and that those agencies could not support safety planning and risk management going forward." 

Peter Nash (Image: Suffolk Police)

It made 12 recommendations for future action including that all partner agencies refreshing their training offer in respect of domestic abuse and promote accessible resources "to ensure practitioners are equipped to look for and identify patterns of coercive and controlling behaviour and how this may present in the context of a child’s situation and learning needs."

It suggested the Integrated Care Board should review what mental health, mediation and counselling services are available to perpetrators of domestic abuse and ensure that these are publicised for partner agencies.

Other recommendations included partner agencies using supervision and training to "challenge stereotypes in respect of parenting roles for men and women" and "undertake audits to establish whether there are systemic differences in the nature of support offered to male and female primary carers."

The review also recommended Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership (SSP) and Suffolk’s Community Safety Partnership and Prevent panel should develop a "strategic approach to tackling extremist misogyny and toxic masculinity".

This would include preventative online education and in schools, as well as training for frontline practitioners and "targeted therapeutic intervention".

A spokesman for NHS Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board said: “We thank the Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership for their report on this tragic case.

“We continue to work with our partners to ensure access to appropriate services is in place.”