Failures made by police in the run-up to the killings of pregnant mother Rachael Slack and her toddler son Auden "more than minimally contributed" to their deaths, an inquest jury found. Her former partner Andrew Cairns unlawfully killed them both.
The boyfriend of a pregnant woman who was killed with her toddler son by her ex-partner told Daybreak that he believed the pair would still be alive if they had not been let down by police.
Rachael Slack, 38, and her 23-month-old son Auden were found with multiple stab wounds in their home in the village of Holbrook, Derbyshire, on June 2, 2010.
They were killed by 44-year-old Andrew Cairns, Auden's father, who had a history of mental illness.
Ms Slack's partner Robert Barlow said he believed the deaths could have been avoided.He said: "She was doing the right thing by giving him (Cairns) support and always involving him in the activities with Auden, looking out for him as the father of the child.
"I wasn't made aware of the (police) risk assessment (into the potential for homicide) and the outcome.
"If they had contacted me, I could have acted accordingly - so Rachael would have done as well. It would have got rid of any doubt of what we needed to do in the oncoming weeks after he had been arrested.
"There is every possibility, without a shadow of a doubt, there is every possibility she could have been alive today."
Rachael Slack and her toddler son Auden were stabbed to death in 2010 by her ex-partner, who had a history of mental health issues.
A timeline of the events surrounding the stabbing of Rachael Slack, Andrew Cairns and their two-year old son, Auden.