A London coroner found Georgia Barter’s death was caused by years of violence and coercive control by Thomas Bignell. Her family want justice, but the CPS won’t charge him and the police can’t find him
On 26 April 2020 Georgia Barter, a long-term victim of domestic abuse, died in hospital after taking a fatal overdose of painkillers. Last week, in an extraordinary verdict, a coroner ruled that Georgia, 32, was unlawfully killed by her abusive partner.
A court heard how GPs, nurses and police officers all had chances to intervene in Thomas Bignell’s violent campaign against Georgia, but failed to do so.
At the conclusion of the hearing, there were gasps in the courtroom. It is believed to be only the second time in English legal history that a coroner has reached such a conclusion in the case of a suicide following domestic abuse, and the first time without a jury.
The coroner said she could not be certain whether Georgia intended to take her own life; she had told her mother that she just wanted the “physical and mental pain to stop”.
