'It was the worst court case I've ever covered - I'll never forget that innocent woman's vile killer'

As journalists we hear about the best of humanity - and the very worst. Sometimes real-life horror stories are played out in court. The details of these crimes can be difficult to listen to.

I've worked in the industry for the best part of a decade and sat in courtrooms across the North West. Some stories come and go, but there are others that never leave you.

The brutal killing of Caroline Gore is one of them.

I sat in the public gallery at Manchester Crown Court as David Liptrot was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murder. He had been in an 'on-off' relationship with Caroline for two years and was a repeat perpetrator of violence towards her.

READ MORE: MP raises Caroline Gore tragedy in Parliament as hundreds back M.E.N. campaign

Liptrot, 57, was a man with an odious past. He had 48 previous convictions for 85 offences. Over the decades, his offending became more violent.

And then the people he was supposed to love became his victims. Liptrot, of Shelley Close, Coppull, was convicted of domestic abuse offences against former partners between 2018 and 2021.

He then turned his anger towards his new love interest - Caroline. He was handed a two-month prison sentence for battery against her in August 2022.

Two months later, he was convicted of battery against her again, and handed a restraining order. It never stopped him contacting her - or attacking her.

Liptrot was sentenced to 30 weeks in prison in March 2023 for stalking and breaching his restraining order against Caroline. On October 3 last year, he was handed a suspended sentence for breaching the order again.

It still didn't stop him. Weeks later, on October 29, 2023, Liptrot stabbed Caroline to death. He then boasted about killing her to his mates at the pub the following day - even singing along to 'Sweet Caroline'.

Her daughter Megan was spot on when she said 'restraining orders aren’t worth the paper they’re written on'. The fact that Liptrot could so easily creep back into Caroline's life, time and time again, is harrowing enough.

For it to end in such tragedy is truly sickening - and should shock us all to our core.

I've reported on dozens of court cases over the years and will likely cover many more. But I'm in no doubt that this was the most horrific case I've covered.

Liptrot's repeated cowardly attacks against vulnerable women make him vile. On the day of his sentencing, he sat emotionless in the dock while a disgraceful group of his friends met up not only to support him, but to target Caroline's grieving family with abuse in the waiting area.

Yet the most painful part of the case was how Caroline was so badly let down by the state. She should have been protected from her killer - but the restraining order was meaningless.

Hundreds of people have signed our petition to tighten the law in Caroline's memory. There must be tougher sentences for those who breach restraining orders.

It's a change in the law that we owe to Caroline and her family - and it must happen before another vulnerable woman is killed at the hands of her abuser.

What the government has to say

Responding to our campaign, a government spokesperson said: "What happened to Caroline is just horrific.

"This government has a mission to halve violence against women and girls in 10 years. We are going further to protect victims of domestic abuse, which is why we are launching a pilot for new Domestic Abuse Protection Orders later this month in police forces and courts including in Greater Manchester.

"These new, strengthened orders will not have a minimum or maximum duration, allowing victims to obtain the protection they require for as long as needed, and will give the police and courts the powers to impose tougher restrictions on perpetrators."