Police officer deemed Gracie Spinks' killer Michael Sellars “low risk”, inquest hears

PC Sarah Parker, a Chesterfield officer with 17 years’ experience, told an inquest today she gave “words of advice” to Sellars following a complaint from Gracie, before the case was closed.

In February 2021 Gracie – who was stabbed to death by Sellars four months later in June 2021 – told the officer at her Old Whittington home that she simply wanted Sellars “on file” to prevent him targeting anyone else in the future.

The officer spoke with Gracie for 45 minutes, however she made no notes while the conversation was ongoing.

Officer Parker advised 23-year-old Gracie that Sellars should be given a warning and although her meeting with him was recorded on the constable’s body-worn camera it was later automatically deleted when she went off sick with covid.

Jurors heard how PC Parker challenged Sellars about messages he had sent Gracie and that he had been watching her on CCTV cameras at work.

She said: “He seemed nervous but accepted it and agreed not to contact her again. He told me he believed that they were in a relationship.

"I made it clear they were not in a relationship – I informed him if there was any further contact he would be arrested.”

Sellars had started to become “interested” in Gracie in October 2021 while working as a warehouse supervisor at Derbyshire e-commerce firm Xbite. However he became “obsessed” after Gracie informed him that she was not interested in a relationship, turning up at her horse stables on January 4.

A month later Gracie reported Sellars to Derbyshire Police, telling them he was being a “complete weirdo”. The inquest heard Sellars had stalked “eight” previous female colleagues at Xbite.

Sellars, 35, harassed the females – all work colleagues – with constant requests for dates, tracking one on social media using fake accounts, following another in his car and appearing parked outside the home of another. Most of his former victims worked with him at Derbyshire e-commerce firm Xbite and resigned due to his unwanted attentions.

However PC Parker described how she had not requested further information about Sellars’ previous harassment of Xbite staff as she did not deem it “proportionate”.

Questioning PC Parker during the inquest, coroner Matthew Kewley said: “Did you not think, ‘there were more girls, this is odd’?”

She later admitted that had she requested further information about Sellars’ previous harassment of female staff, she would have interviewed him “based on” his messages to them.

The inquest heard when PC Sarah Parker spoke with an Xbite supervisor he raised “red flags” about Sellars’ previous behaviour towards staff.

However she felt requesting Sellar’s disciplinary file was “not proportionate”, claiming Xbite supervisor Lee Bingham had underplayed the seriousness of Sellars’ conduct and the phrase “red flag” was never used.

She confirmed that she was unaware of guidance in the force that any stalking complaints should only be handled by its specialist “public protection unit”.

She was also unaware of a specific stalking risk assessment form known as the “490” until after Gracie’s death. She said: “After the incident occurred, something was sent out about the importance of the 490.”

PC Parker said her understanding of another stalking assessment procedure known as THRIVE – threat, harm, risk, vulnerability, engagement – was performed by the call handlers. Later telling the coroner her assessment of Sellars remained “low risk”, she added: “I accept my updates on the crime report were not as full as they should be.”

Dropout pharmaceutical science student Sellars was dismissed from Xbite in February 2021. Today (Thursday) a jury at Gracie’s inquest heard a recording of the 999 call she made to police to report him.

She was worried about what might happen if he lost an appeal over his dismissal from Xbite and lost his job. During the call Gracie described how Sellars was being a “complete weirdo” and she “worried it might happen to someone else”.

She told the call handler: “I want him on file and for you to report it – work says this has happened before and this is the worst that’s happened.I’m worried if it happens to someone else it could be worse – he might actually kidnap someone.”

She told the call centre worker that Sellars was getting “weirder and weirder”, asking colleagues what she was posting on social media, who she was meeting and why she would not talk to him.

The inquest continues.