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Murder victim had reported attack | |
(1 day later) | |
A woman whose badly burnt body was found at her home in Salford had a police alarm fitted after reporting an assault weeks before her death. | |
Detectives said they had fitted a homelink device - an alarm which notifies police in an emergency - at the home of Clare Wood last month. | |
Ms Wood was found dead at her home in Blackfriars on Friday. Police are hunting suspect George Appleton, 40. | |
A man had previously been arrested and bailed over the alleged assault. | |
Received threats | |
Mr Appleton, a former boyfriend of Ms Wood, has not been seen since her badly burnt body was found. | |
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said it was now investigating the case after it emerged Greater Manchester Police had been in contact with the mother-of-one shortly before her death. | |
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "In January 2009 Clare Wood made an allegation of assault to police, and a man was arrested and bailed in connection with this allegation."Police believe George Appleton is a serious threat to women | |
Devices, like the one fitted at Ms Wood's home, link directly to a police call centre and are aimed at "vulnerable people" who feel they are "at risk", explained the force. | |
Meanwhile, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it had fitted a metal plate to the letterbox of Clare Wood's home to stop burning materials being put through it. It was fitted after she received threats against her. | |
Officers have been examining Mr Appleton's car after it was found abandoned in the city centre on Monday evening. | |
Police revealed he was known to contact women via the internet, sometimes using aliases, and urged them not to meet him. | |
The murder suspect is known to have visited Plentyoffish, Informedconsent, Facebook and MySpace. | |
Detectives warned that Mr Appleton had previously used aliases online including, ilgeorgyporgy, tristar5 and redfred. Women contacted by any of these names are advised to alert police. | |
Information about Mr Appleton has been circulated to all major ports and transport networks, and searches of Manchester are continuing. | Information about Mr Appleton has been circulated to all major ports and transport networks, and searches of Manchester are continuing. |
CCTV footage of Mr Appleton, taken outside his house in Adelphi Court, Salford, on Thursday, was released by police at the weekend. | CCTV footage of Mr Appleton, taken outside his house in Adelphi Court, Salford, on Thursday, was released by police at the weekend. |
He is seen wearing tracksuit bottoms with a white stripe down them, white Reebok trainers, a dark puffa jacket and a woolly hat with brown, red and purple stripes. | |
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Firefighters had sealed up her letter box to prevent an attack |
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