Metropolitan Police refer themselves to the complaints watchdog over contact officers had with Caroline Flack before her death
- The former Love Island host was found dead in her flat on Saturday afternoon
- She was awaiting trial for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend Lewis Burton
- The Met said is reviewed previous contact with Flack before making the referral
- To contact the Samaritans, call 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the police watchdog over the contact it had with Caroline Flack before her death.
The former Love Island host was found dead in her flat on Saturday afternoon, the day after she had been told that the CPS was pursuing the court case against her.
Scotland Yard’s directorate of professional standards reviewed all previous contact with Love Island presenter Flack, 40, before making the referral on Wednesday.
In a statement, the Met said: ‘As is standard practice when a member of the public dies or is seriously injured and has had recent contact with police, the Directorate of Professional Standards has reviewed all previous police contact with Ms Flack.
The Metropolitan Police has referred itself to the police watchdog over the contact it had with Caroline Flack before her death
The former Love Island host was found dead in her flat on Saturday afternoon. Pictured: Emergency services at the scene in Stoke Newington
A picture of Caroline Flack posted by Mollie Grosberg, a TV producer, on Valentine’s Day
‘Following the review, the MPS made a mandatory referral to the IOPC on Wednesday, 19 February to allow for an independent assessment.
‘No notice of investigation has been served on any officer and no conduct issues have been identified by the DPS. No officer is on restricted duties or suspended.’
The much loved TV star had pleaded not guilty to assault by beating at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court in North London on December 23 and was due to go on trial at March 4.
Her family and managers have since accused the CPS of a ‘show trial’ that put pressure on the troubled star in the days before her death.
Yesterday, Miss Flack’s mother released an unpublished Instagram post the star wrote in the days before her death in which she said her arrest had meant her whole world had ‘collapsed’.
The presenter insisted in the heart-rending message that she was not a domestic abuser and that her alleged assault on boyfriend Lewis Burton was an accident.
In the message, shared by her mother Chris, the star explained how her ‘whole world and future was swept from under my feet’ in the 24 hours following her arrest.
Caroline Flack’s friend Mollie Grosberg earlier posted this picture of them on Instagram alongside an emotional tribute in which she said: ‘I kissed your head yesterday and it was the last time and it was the most precious feeling’
Just one day before she died, the former Love Island presenter posted her last Instagram photo, which showed her cuddling her beloved pet, captioned with a love heart
A heartbroken Lewis Burton posted this photograph of his former girlfriend Caroline Flack after an inquest heard she had hanged herself
In the post Miss Flack revealed that she had been having ‘some sort of emotional breakdown for a very long time’ and that she and her family ‘could not take it anymore’.
The 40-year-old had planned to post the message on social media and had shown it to her mother at the end of January, but was advised not to share it with her millions of followers.
Flack said she ‘took responsibility for what happened that night’ but said it had been an accident and she ‘was NOT a domestic abuser’.
No members of Flack’s family were present as the inquest opened at Poplar Coroner’s Court in east London yesterday.
Coroner’s officer Sandra Polson said police were driving through Stoke Newington, on Saturday February 15 when they were flagged down.
She said Ms Flack was found and police attempted resuscitation, which was then continued by paramedics, but she was pronounced dead at the scene. Her body was identified by her twin sister, Jody Flack, the inquest heard.
The inquest heard the provisional cause of death was given as suspension by ligature. The hearing, which lasted four minutes, was adjourned until August 5.
An IOPC spokesman: said: ‘The Independent Office for Police Conduct has received a referral from the Metropolitan Police relating to its contact with Caroline Flack prior to her death.
‘We will make a decision on the level of our involvement after carefully assessing the information we have received. Receipt of a referral does not mean an investigation will necessarily follow.’
To contact the Samaritans, call 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org