THE mother of a woman that was brutally murdered has said the police ‘let her down’ in the lead up to her death.

Elizabeth Griffiths, the mum of 33-year-old care worker Laura Stuart, who was stabbed and kicked to death on the streets of Denbigh by her ex-boyfriend, Jason Cooper, aged 28, from Denbigh, has spoken out about the police's failure to help her daughter in the lead up to her death in August 2017.

North Wales Police is being investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) after concerns were raised over their handling of a total of 18 reports involving Laura and Mr Cooper during and after their two-year relationship before her death.

Ms Griffiths has said that police “should have known something was wrong” after being called “numerous times” by Laura, a mother of two.

She added that Laura, who was "fun-loving, hardworking, loved her children, loved all her family" was "very frustrated with the police” because of their lack of support.

“They did let Laura down. They could have done more for her,” she said.

Laura had contacted the police regarding her worsening relationship but they did not make any contact with Mr Cooper, who is now serving a 31 year sentence for murder and intentional grievous bodily harm.

Speaking to BBC Wales Live in the week of Cooper’s appeal against his sentencing, Ms Griffiths said Laura had been in a relationship with Mr Cooper for two years between splitting with her former partner, the father of her children, and the day she died, but the relationship did not worsen until they moved in together after 12 months.

"She became more withdrawn from everybody,” Ms Griffiths said. "She wasn’t really allowed to do anything unless he was with her”.

Ms Griffiths detailed the abusive relationship, saying: “He made her photograph her timesheet, so he knew exactly what she was doing.

“She cooked his dinner for him and he’d walk in and throw a plate at her.

“He’d rant and rant and rant at her.”

Ms Griffiths explained a frightening incident in which she received a call from Laura and decided to visit the house.

"I went up to house and she opened door four or five inches and he was stood right behind her. She said, 'mum it’s OK, just go home'.”

Ms Griffiths called the police soon after as she was unhappy with the situation, but the police found that all was OK and that “if I went up banging on the doors again that they would arrest me for breach of the peace."

As the abuse spiralled Laura left the relationship, but Mr Cooper proceeded to follow her with months of obsessive texting in which Laura’s phone "continuously pinged". On one occasion she received 421 messages.

“He’d text her saying ‘if I cant have you then nobody can’," Ms Griffiths said

“‘Run, run, run’. I think that was one of the last texts he sent. ‘You better run’.”

Laura visited Denbigh Police Station two months after their break-up and pleaded for officers to speak to Mr Cooper.

The police asked Laura to consider a formal complaint, but she was worried that this could worsen the situation.

“She was very frustrated with the police. Especially when you know that somebody is watching and outside and waiting for you.”

Three days after the police station visit, Laura was attacked by Mr Cooper who brandished a knife as she was walking home from a friend's birthday party.

During the incident, which took place on Love Lane, Denbigh, near Laura's home, Mr Cooper stabbed her repeatedly and kicked her as she lay on floor.

Mr Cooper also stabbed Laura's friend David Roberts, who tried to protect her. Mr Roberts survived the attack.

“I was devastated. It wasn’t just the stabbing injuries, it was the facial injuries, which were horrific," Ms Griffiths said.

Both of her eye sockets, nose, chin, cheek bones were broken.

“Everything was broken in her face basically," said Ms Griffiths.

“All she did was finish a relationship, she hadn’t done anything.”

Laura died in hospital two days later on August 13.

Supt Neil Harrison of North Wales Police said: “On behalf of North Wales Police I would again like to extend our deepest sympathy to Laura’s family.

"Following Laura’s tragic death the matter was referred to the IOPC who have undertaken an independent investigation relating to police contact prior to her death.

“North Wales Police awaits the IOPC’s findings and determinations in relation to this matter and, therefore, cannot comment further at this stage.”