Lincoln inquest to begin into death of Grantham woman Daniela Espirito Santo

An inquest into the death of a young mother, reportedly left on hold by police in her final hours, is set to begin this week.

Daniela Espirito Santo (also referred to as Daniela De Sousa), from Grantham, died on April 9, 2020, after being placed on hold for eight minutes by Lincolnshire Police, allegedly while trying to report violence by her partner, Julio Jesus.

According to a confidential report from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), leaked to The New York Times, Daniela had reported Jesus to the police seven times over 12 months, including for death threats and physical assaults.

Police have previously faced criticism for their handling of the case, given the escalating severity of the abuse.

Although police conduct was reviewed by the IOPC, no major breaches of professional standards were found. However, the IOPC report highlighted several police failings.

According to The New York Times, a post-mortem examination concluded that the assaults may have triggered her heart failure.

Daniela had been diagnosed with a heart condition in 2015, and medical experts could not definitively link her death to the assaults.

Jesus was convicted of assault but cleared of manslaughter due to a lack of definitive medical evidence linking the assault to her death. He served 10 months in prison.

The inquest will begin tomorrow at the Myles Cross Centre in Lincoln and is expected to conclude on October 18.