THE murder of a domestic abuse victim was difficult to prevent because she would not leave her partner, a review of the case has concluded.

A 58-page report into the death of 42-year-old Sarah Gosling found that while she was being supported by the authorities, she never felt able to leave the relationship with Ian Hope.

Miss Gosling was stabbed to death by Hope, 53, at their Newcastle home in 2012.

He was later convicted of her murder and sentenced to life.

The review was commissioned by the Safe Newcastle agency to identify what could be learnt from the circumstances of the death.

The report’s author, retired police Superintendent Brian Boxall said: “Unfortunately, despite being subject to continued abuse and violence, which brought her in contact with a number of local services, the victim never felt able, or confident enough, to permanently leave the abusive relationship, making the tragic outcome difficult to avoid.

“This review has identified some of the reasons why, despite the support she was offered by a number of agencies, the victim still felt unable to make those decisions.

“It sets out lessons that need to be learnt to avoid some of these barriers in the future.”

The report was published on Tuesday as Durham Police announced that it had launched an internal awareness campaign to ensure officers used Clare's law.

The Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, known as Clare's Law, allows people to find out from police if someone has a history of violence.

As part of the awareness raising, Durham Constabulary officers will be shown a training DVD.

Shift briefings will also be carried out and an information leaflet is being produced.