A staff member of Norfolk Police is facing a misconduct case following an investigation into the handling of a 999 call made by a man who subsequently killed his two young daughters and their aunt in Costessey, near Norwich.

The tragic incident occurred on 19 January 2024 at a property on Allan Bedford Crescent, Queen’s Hills estate, where Polish-born Bartlomiej Kuczynski, 45, fatally stabbed his daughters, Jasmin, 12, and Natasha, eight, along with his sister-in-law, Kanticha Sukpengpanao, 36, before taking his own life. All four victims died from stab wounds to the neck.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) conducted a probe after it was revealed that approximately an hour before officers arrived at the scene around 7am, Kuczynski had made a 999 call during which he said, “I am walking with the knife. I have just lost the plot.” The audio recording of the call also raised further concerns about his mental health.

Despite these statements, the call handler did not dispatch emergency services nor record a call log at that time. The call was only flagged to a supervisor after the staff member became aware of the incident through media reports later that same day.

When questioned by the IOPC, the call handler acknowledged understanding that the call related to mental health issues but said he did not hear the word “knife” during the conversation and indicated he would have acted differently had he been aware of the reference. The watchdog has since determined that there is a case to answer for misconduct concerning the decisions made by the staff member during the call.

The Norfolk Police staff member, who was initially suspended following the incident, has since returned to work on restricted duties. They have been informed of the investigation’s outcome and will face a misconduct meeting, which is expected to be held privately. Possible consequences of this meeting range from words of advice to written warnings.

The victim, Kanticha Sukpengpanao, had only recently arrived in the UK on 27 December 2023, according to statements from her best friend. Floral tributes have been left near the family home in tribute to those lost.

Separately, a pre-inquest hearing took place at Norfolk Coroner’s Court, where the inquest into the deaths was adjourned until 2026 to allow for the completion of a Domestic Homicide Review.

During the hearing, reference was made to Norfolk’s Right Care Right Person initiative, launched in May 2024. This scheme is designed to assess whether police are the most appropriate responders for incidents, although officers continue to attend calls when there is a policing purpose.

The Daily Mail is reporting that the outcome of this case and ongoing inquiries highlight the complexity surrounding emergency response decisions in cases involving mental health and public safety.

Source: Noah Wire Services