Leah Croucher ‘killed by convicted rapist after trying to fight off sex attack’
Leah Croucher was murdered while trying to fight off a sex offender who killed himself while on the run from police, an inquest has heard.
Ms Croucher’s body was discovered less than half a mile away from her home in October 2022 after she went missing while walking to work in February 2019.
Neil Maxwell, who police believe ‘absolutely’ killed the 19-year-old, was convicted of a sex offence in February 2018 and jailed for rape in 2009.
But was deemed to be a ‘medium-risk’ threat, despite being described as ‘an evil f***er’ by a former boss.
Ms Croucher’s remains were found in the loft of a house in Furzton, Milton Keynes, only Maxwell had access to as the handyman, with the owners of the property living abroad.
He killed himself two months after Leah’s disappearance.
Detective Superintendent Kevin Brown said Maxwell was ‘absolutely’ responsible for the death of Ms Croucher.
He said: ‘In normal circumstances, had he been alive, I would have spoken to the Crown Prosecution Service about charging Neil Maxwell.’
In a statement after the conclusion of the inquest, Leah’s dad John said: ‘The current system is not equipped to properly manage these offenders and we fear that until these failings are properly addressed, another family will have to face the same awful consequences we will never recover from.’
He also said the failings ‘not only allowed this repeat offender to assault others and kill our Leah, but also led to the death of Leah’s brother Haydon who never recovered from Leah going missing and was so distraught (he) took his own life’.
He said the inquest has not answered the family’s key questions about the ‘failings in the apprehension of the key suspect in this matter’ and they ask the police ‘to be open with us’ and answer their questions about the investigation.
Leah was a black belt martial arts expert who was nationally and internationally recognised.
The detective added that a potential attack by Maxwell may have been sexual, but escalated as Leah fought back.
Ms Croucher’s remains were found in the loft of the home, with a bag of limbs found in a plastic bag.
Officers were alerted to the property after a man doing maintenance work was struggling to ‘eradicate the smell’ from the home and found Leah’s body.
(Picture: Hyde News & Pictures Ltd)
Detective Chief Superintendent Joseph Kidman accepted there had been ‘missed opportunities’ in the case.
The officer said that Maxwell was convicted of an offence in February 2018 and was incorrectly assessed as a medium risk.
Det. Chief Supt. Kidman was asked if a high-risk assessment of Maxwell would have made a difference to the outcome. The officer said: ‘It may have made a difference – it may have impacted on the risk management but that may not necessarily have made a difference in the opportunity to commit a further offence in 2018.’
After Leah’s body was discovered, her parents, John and Claire Croucher said their ‘faint glimmer of hope’ of her being alive has been ‘brutally extinguished’.
In a statement they said: ‘As a family, we knew this heart-breaking news would come one day. The news that Leah had been taken from us, from this world, forever.
‘The deepest, darkest grief that we, Leah’s family and friends are experiencing over the past weeks shows us that glimmer was actually, foolishly, a shining beacon of hope, which has now been brutally extinguished in the cruellest and harshest of ways.
‘Leah was a bright, funny young woman who was a kind, loyal, helpful and caring soul.
‘Her smile lit up the room and her laugh cheered all who heard it. Leah had a wonderful sense of humour, who found joy in everything she did.’
Leah’s brother Haydon, 24, took his own life after talking to his therapist about how he was struggling with his sister’s disappearance.
His mum said he was ‘consumed with pain and anguish’ and died nearly nine months after Leah’s disappearance.
The hearing continues.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.