'Stand up, speak out... you are not alone': The tragic story of Regan Tierney

Regan Tierney’s family has spent five long years fighting for justice for the ‘wonderful’ young mum. Aged just 27, she was stabbed to death by her abusive ex-partner Daniel Patten in what police called a ‘murder-suicide’.

Her loved ones have always insisted that over the course of their 10-year relationship, Regan was not offered the support and protection she should have afforded. As her inquest concluded on July 19, jurors said the mother's death could ‘possibly’ have been prevented with better support.

Greater Manchester Police’s policies and procedures towards domestic violence have changed since Regan’s death in 2019. But her family hope her story - and the conclusion they fought so hard for - will be a stark reminder of the gravity of domestic violence and the tragic consequences of failing to support victims.

Here, the Manchester Evening News looks back at the tragic case...

READ MORE: A verdict for all future, past and present victims of domestic abuse

Regan and her sister Shannon ‘didn’t have it easy’ in childhood. They grew to depend on each other. They were sisters and best friends. The bond would continue into adulthood. In 2009, Regan met Daniel Patten. They began an ‘on and off’ relationship, according to Shannon. Regan was 17, he was 21. At first, Regan's sister said she wasn’t aware of any difficulties in the relationship.

But in August of that same year, police received their first report of Patten being violent. It came from Regan’s mother, who dialled 999, telling officers that during an argument, he ‘held Regan by the throat’. At the time, Regan denied the incident had happened, although she would later tell police Patten had ‘strangled’ her. No crime was recorded, but at the inquest, police said