24 May 2019

Before HM Senior Coroner Derek Winter
Sunderland Coroner’s Court, Civic Centre, Sunderland, SR2 7DN
Opens 10 am, 28 May 2019. Expected to last for 7 days

 The inquest into the death of Quyen Ngoc Nguyen, who died after being brutally attacked and placed in the back of a burning car by two men who had been released from prison on licence, will open on 28 May 2019 at Sunderland Coroner’s Court. The inquest follows a criminal trial last year, in which both men were convicted of murdering Quyen.

Quyen was a 28 year old nail technician from Vietnam. She died on 15 August 2017. Quyen had lived in Sunderland with her two young children after moving to the UK in 2010. Her family describe her as an intelligent woman who was living the life that she had dreamed of.

William John McFall and Stephen Unwin, who were under the supervision of the National Probation Service, attacked Quyen whilst out of prison on licence. The men had met in prison whilst serving life sentences for separate murders. Following their convictions in April 2018, they were both given further life sentences without the possibility of parole. 

The Coroner will be holding an Article 2 compliant inquest to explore issues around potential systemic and individual failings on the part of the Northumbria Police and the National Probation Service, as well as any missed opportunities in relation to the possibility of recall to prison.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

For more information contact the INQUEST Communications Team on 020 7263 1111 or directly contact Sarah Uncles by email

INQUEST has been working with the family of Quyen Ngoc Nguyen since January 2019. The family is represented by INQUEST Lawyers Group member Ruth Bundey from Harrison Bundey.

A photo of Quyen Ngoc Nguyen will be available on request.

The other interested persons represented at the inquest are the National Probation Service and Northumbria Police Force.

Other deaths involving murders carried out by people on licence to the probation service include:

• Alex Malcolm, 5, was killed by a man in November 2016. The former partner of his mother was under supervision of probation service following a series of convictions for violent behaviour. Despite having spoken to the relevant probation officer, Alex’s mother was never made aware of her former partner’s history and the risks for which he was being monitored. See media coverage.
• Lisa Skidmore, 37, was killed by a man in November 2016 who was been supervised by probation services. He had informed the probation services that he wanted to be violent again but was never recalled to prison. See media coverage.
• Connor Marshall, 18, died in March 2015, after being attacked by a man on probation who had breached the terms of his license and missed numerous meetings. See media coverage.
• Lukasz Slaboszewski, 31, Kevin Lee, 48, and John Chapman, 56, were killed in March 2013 by a woman who was serving a community order and was under the supervision of probation services and known to have the “potential to cause serious harm”. See media coverage.