A police call reporting a ‘psychopath’ handyman for murdering his girlfriend while he was on bail for killing another partner was marked as a hoax, a probe has found.
Carl Cooper, 66, was jailed for 35 years in 2024 for violently stabbing Naomi Hunte, 41, and murdering Fiona Holm, 48, whose body has never been found.
Cooper, from Jamaica, was in a relationship with both women around one year apart – with each woman separately complaining about his violent and controlling behaviour.
Cooper knifed Ms Hunte to death at her home in south East London on Valentine’s Day 2022. Despite being arrested as the ‘obvious suspect,’ he denied murdering Ms Hunte and was released on bail.
In June 2023, Ms Holm went missing and was never seen again.
On June 25 police received a phone call from an anonymous tipster claiming Cooper had murdered someone that week, but this was marked down as a hoax by the call handler.
Cooper, who denied both murders, was convicted in June 2024 of both women’s murders and ordered to serve a minimum of 35 years in prison before being eligible to be released on parole.
Now, a spokesperson for the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has confirmed ten Met Police officers have been issued disciplinary notices as part of a continuing investigation into contact the force had with both women before their deaths.
Carl Cooper (pictured) was handed two life sentences and ordered to serve at least 35 years for the murders of Naomi Hunt and Fiona Holm
They include a police constable working in the control centre, who last month was served with a misconduct notice relating to a call which Cooper was mentioned but was marked as a hoax.
The spokesperson said that on 25 June, 2023, an anonymous caller stated Cooper had murdered someone that week. This was only days before Ms Holm was reported missing.
Ms Holm, of south-east London, is believed to have died on June 20, 2023. Her blood was found on the clothing at Cooper’s address, even though he had thrown furniture away and refurbished his flat.
IOPC director Amanda Rowe said an investigation into police actions following Ms Holm’s report of an assault by Cooper only two months earlier led to a detective sergeant and a detective constable being told they were being investigated for potential gross misconduct.
She also confirmed two police constables and a detective inspector were being investigated for potential misconduct relating to those actions.
Despite being arrested, the Met has previously said Cooper was not charged following the attack.
Ms Rowe said: ‘Our investigation subsequently widened and, since September, we have served gross misconduct notices on three police constables and a police sergeant in relation to reports Ms Hunte had made to the Met about Cooper in April and October 2021.’
During Cooper’s trial at Woolwich Crown Court, it was heard that Ms Hunte also made a series of domestic callouts to police across 2020 and 2021 and told them he was ‘obsessed’ with her.
On June 29, 2021 during a police call-out to her home, he told officers Cooper ‘stalks me and I’m really scared now.’
Fiona Holm (pictured) was never found following her murder. She had complained to the police about Cooper’s violent behaviour
Cooper knifed Naomi Hunte (pictured) to death at her home in south East London on Valentine’s Day 2022. Ms Hunte made a series of domestic callouts to police across 2020 and 2021 about Cooper
Following Cooper’s murder conviction, an investigation was launched after the families of the victims made complaints alleging ‘serious shortcomings’ in police investigations before their deaths.
Ms Rowe said: ‘The serving of conduct notices does not necessarily mean disciplinary proceedings will follow. At the end of our investigation, we will decide whether any officers should face misconduct proceedings.
‘All parties have been kept informed of developments in the investigation.’
The Met has previously apologised for ‘mistakes’ made when dealing with allegations against Cooper.