Victim of domestic abuse ‘left in danger’ by police

Police left a victim of domestic abuse “in danger” by failing to warn her that her abuser had previous convictions for serious violence.

Ceri Austin, 38, was subjected to a campaign of harassment by her ex-partner, including him breaking into her estate and smearing “I will always love you” in his own blood across the walls.

Ms Austin reported her abuser to the police twice before he was successfully charged. Then, after making an official request to the Met, she discovered he had two previous convictions for serious violence.

Zane Warden, 41, who often goes by the alias of Paul, was handed a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, at Inner Crown Court London on November 12.

He previously pleaded guilty to harassment with fear of violence and criminal damage.

The charges come after Warden was arrested in July for attempting to break into Ms Austin’s home, in Druid Street, Bermondsey, while she was inside with her nine-year-old son. She has since been rehoused by the council.

Ms Austin said: “He was banging on my door at 6am.

“He started putting things into the letter box – I thought he was going to set the flat on fire but he was posting letters covered in blood.”

Ms Austin called the police, who arrested Warden at the scene.

She said: “When I came out of my flat I saw he’d smeared ‘I will Always Love You’  in his own blood across my door frame.

“He’d spray painted the staircase with abuse and arrows pointing to my door with my name.”

This was the third time Warden was arrested for allegedly harassing Ms Austin.

He was previously arrested in October 2023 for attempting to break into her home, and in February 2024 for assaulting her in the street, leaving her in hospital.

The Met said no charges were brought against Warden on these occasions due to “victim withdrawal”.

When Warden was first arrested, the police cancelled a meeting to take a witness statement from Ms Austin.

She said: “I had built up the courage to speak about it. I had all the evidence in a folder, I’d organised childcare and they cancelled last minute.”

The Met said multiple attempts were made to reschedule the meeting for the statement. But Ms Austin said: “I lost trust in them and didn’t want anything to do with the case.”

After the second arrest, Ms Austin said an officer visited her in hospital, but he was “aggressive” and “rushed” her for a statement before she had been seen by a doctor, so she refused.

The Met denies these allegations.

Ms Austin agreed to engage with the investigation after the third arrest, resulting in Warden being charged.

She then submitted a Clare’s Law request to the police. Clare’s Law allows a person to apply for information about a current or ex-partner if they are worried they may have a history of abuse.

She said: “He had two previous convictions, one for battery and one for Actual Bodily Harm.

“The police left me in danger.”

After he was charged, Warden was released on conditional bail ahead of the sentencing, but breached his bail by contacting Ms Austin.

The sentencing was delayed while the judge advised police to re-arrest Warden. It took the Met four weeks to arrest him.

Ms Austin said: “How can a convicted offender on court bail not be arrested at his home address when he’s on a curfew?

“I felt like banging my head against a wall.”

The force said multiple arrest attempts were made and Warden was circulated as wanted on the Police National Database. Warden was arrested after this was escalated to the Met’s Fugitive Unit.

Warden pleaded guilty to the breach and was re-released on conditional bail until his sentencing.

Ms Austin said: “I felt sick when I found out he had been re-issued bail. He’d breached his bail, it made no sense.”

Warden is now subject to a five year restraining order against Ms Austin. But after his previous breach, the result brought her little relief.

She said: “The sentence comes as no surprise to me. Not enough is being done to tackle violence against women and girls.

“The lasting damage goes far beyond a 12-month suspended sentence.

“I’ve had to move house, I can’t work, he’s ruined my life.”

A Met spokeswoman said: “The Met is committed to tackling domestic abuse in all forms and to protecting those who are at risk wherever and however we can.

“Our work continues with the added support of the Met’s Predatory Offender Units (POUs), which target the highest harm offenders across London, including domestic abuse suspects.

“We have also adopted the Domestic Abuse Matters cultural change programme, with the domestic abuse charity SafeLives, with training sessions held for 6,800 officers.”

(Picture: Pexels/Bas Masseus)