An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation has resumed after a Newmarket man was found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend.
Following a two-month trial, jurors found Charles Jessop guilty of murdering Clare Nash, 33, at her home in Brickfields Avenue, Newmarket, on January 16, 2020.
Ipswich Crown Court heard how Jessop lay in wait until Ms Nash returned home, then launched his stabbing attack, strangling her after the knife broke.
Jurors heard how Jessop had bombarded Ms Nash with unwanted telephone contact after the breakdown of their relationship, and had become suspicious and jealous of her new relationship.
In his closing speech, Mark Cotter QC, who likened Jessop to a "ticking timebomb", told jurors that violent behaviour was a feature of his entire life.
Jessop, 30, a former trainee jockey, had already pleaded guilty to manslaughter and said he had been in a "psychotic rage" after taking the antidepressant drug Citalopram.
During the trial, he claimed the drug "had affected his state of mind".
But Jessop was found guilty of murder by a jury on June 9 and will be sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on July 16.
Due to the fact there was contact between Ms Nash and the police in the days before her death, the matter was referred to the IOPC for assessment.
The IOPC confirmed the investigation has now resumed following the guilty verdict.
An IOPC spokeswoman said: “In January 2020 we received a referral from Suffolk Constabulary following the death of Clare Nash in Brickfields Avenue, Newmarket.
“We decided to independently investigate as there had been contact between Suffolk Constabulary police officers and Clare Nash in the days before her death.
"However, our investigation was paused while ongoing criminal proceedings took place.
“As those proceedings have now concluded the IOPC investigation has resumed.”
Speaking following the verdict, Ms Nash's father, Brian Nash, said: "While nothing will return Clare to us, the emotional burden has been lessened knowing justice has been served.
"She was deeply, deeply loved and will be missed by her family and friends.
"We would be grateful if the media would now respect our privacy to continue grieving.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here