Bethany Fields: Mum of Leeds student killed by ex-partner says West Yorkshire Police ‘failed her daughter'

Bethany Fields, of Bramley, was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife in 2019 by Paul Crowther. The 21-year-old had recently ended a relationship with him and was subjected to a barrage of abuse and threats from her “manipulative, abusive and controlling” former partner before her death.

Crowther, 36, was handed a life sentence in 2020 for the attack at a Huddersfield pub, having pleaded guilty to manslaughter following a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

But Bethany’s mum, Pauline Jones, said more should have been done after her daughter reported Crowther’s abuse to the police.

A BBC Newsnight investigation found that in cases of domestic homicide, West Yorkshire Police (WYP) knew of nine women who had fears for their safety between 2019-2023.

In the cases of Bethany and Fawziyah Javed, a Leeds solicitor who was killed by her husband in 2021, Newsnight found police had not conducted proper risk assessments when they had reported domestic abuse.

WYP said it has taken numerous steps to develop its approach to domestic abuse, accepting and implementing all findings following a Domestic Homicide Review and Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) investigation after Bethany's death.

In the Newsnight episode, which aired on Thursday night, Pauline recalled the moment at Elland Road police station that she was told Bethany had not survived her injuries.

She told the programme: “Straight away, I said, ‘is that Paul Crowther?’. And they nodded. And I said, ‘she came to you, for help’. They just put their heads down.

“In that moment, I died.”

Crowther was well-known to the police and was arrested nine times under the Mental Health Act, but was never sectioned, despite being the main suspect in domestic incidents with two previous different partners, the Newsnight investigation found.

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The officer who took a statement from Bethany following a report of abuse had failed to upload it onto an official system until eight days after receiving it, a coroner’s hearing was told last year. The officer was on probation and had only been working without direct supervision for two weeks.

Pauline told the BBC: “It needed a senior officer, but my daughter put her trust, her life in their hands. As far as I’m concerned, West Yorkshire Police failed my daughter.”

Fawziyah Javed

The Newsnight episode also heard from the mother of Fawziyah, who was pregnant when she was pushed off Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh by her husband.

Yasmin Javed said her daughter had told the police she was going to leave her husband, but the force failed to tell her this would categorise her as “high risk”, following two previous reports of abuse.

Kashif Anwar was sentenced in 2023 for Fawziyah’s murder and causing the death of her unborn child.

Police advisor and homicide expert, Professor Jane Monckton-Smith, told BBC Newsnight there were “missed opportunities” and the deaths of both Bethany and Fawziyah “could have been prevented”.

West Yorkshire Police accept findings

The circumstances prior to the murder of Fawziyah, including the reports of domestic abuse that she made to WYP, are the subject of an ongoing Domestic Homicide Review.

The force said is has made sweeping reforms following the Review and IOPC investigation following Bethany's death, including daily reviews into the risk identification of domestic abuse and honour-based violence victims.

It added that work has been taken on identifying the impact of cumulative incidents and the threat to domestic abuse victims, including a focus on threats to life assessments where appropriate and on repeat offenders.

In summer 2023, the force trained 3,250 frontline officers and staff in its Domestic Abuse Matters programme, and it has worked with Professor Monckton-Smith in delivering training courses.

A WYP spokesperson said: “Our sympathies go out to the families of Bethany Fields and Fawziyah Javed for the devastating and tragic losses they have suffered.

“Since Bethany's appalling death in September 2019, West Yorkshire Police has developed and amended its approach to domestic abuse in many ways.

“Domestic homicides always provide a sharp focus on areas of operational and investigative practice that could be improved and made better, but continual learning is a feature of the force's approach to this insidious crime.

“We are however acutely aware that continual learning will not bring back loved ones taken in such horrific circumstances.”