By . Rob Preece . PUBLISHED: . 04:44 EST, 22 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:48 EST, 22 August 2012 . A catalogue of police failings allowed a sadistic killer to murder his ex-partner and daughter, an investigation has found. Officers took 'inadequate action' to arrest David Oakes, 50, before he shot Christine Chambers, 38, and Shania, two, at their home in Braintree, Essex, the police watchdog concluded. Oakes, of Steeple, near Maldon, was given two whole-life jail terms after being found guilty of the murders, which happened in June last year. Scroll down for video . Sadistic: The Independent Police Complaints Commission found police took 'inadequate action' to arrest former nightclub bouncer David Oakes. He is pictured, left, in a police photograph taken prior to him murdering Christine Chambers and daughter Shania, and, right, baring his injured face last year after shooting himself following the savage killings . It emerged during his trial at . Chelmsford Crown Court that police had visited either his address or . Miss Chambers' home six times in the two years before the murders. The trial heard that Oakes stormed Ms . Chambers’ house and blasted her and their daughter Shania with a . shotgun just weeks after the family gained a restraining order against . him. He then shot himself in the face, but survived. The court heard that Oakes 'systematically tortured' Ms Chambers for several hours before the killings, forcing her to strip and cutting chunks from her hair. Ms Chambers' 10-year-old daughter fled the house during the ordeal as police outside attempted to negotiate with the killer. The couple, who had a long history of domestic abuse, were due to appear at a court custody hearing the next day. A damning report released today by . the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) concludes that Essex . Police missed chances to arrest Oakes before the killings. The IPCC investigation found a lack . of adequate training, insufficient resources allocated to domestic . violence cases and poor oversight by the force. It said inadequate action was taken . to arrest Oakes at the earliest opportunity when reports were made of . him breaching a non-molestation order. Killed: Christine Chambers and her daughter Shania were murdered at their Essex home in June 2011 . A catalogue of incidents involving . the couple reported to police over a two-year period were treated in . isolation by officers. The force failed to take into . consideration the possibility that Ms Chambers had not pursued . complaints against Oakes because she was scared of him, the . investigation found. Ms Chambers made a higher number of . calls to police in the two months before the murders, but the force . failed to respond properly, the report stated. Ms Chambers' father Ken praised Essex Police for its support during the murder investigation but said he felt the force could have done more to prevent the deaths. He said: 'As a family we would again like to say thank you to all those, including friends and neighbours, who have shown us such support and kindness since the murders of Christine and Shania. 'We have also received marvellous support from the police murder investigation team led by Detective Chief Inspector O'Toole, from police family liaison officers and the victim support service, and we are grateful to all of them for helping us through such a traumatic time. 'We have been kept informed by the IPCC of their investigation and findings and have had opportunity to read through and discuss their report. 'We realise one evil man is responsible for taking Christine and Shania away from us and not having them in our lives any more remains extremely difficult to bear. 'While we understand at times Christine could have been more cooperative with the police, we do feel that Essex Police could have done more to prevent the deaths; they should have taken greater steps to protect Christine. 'Difficult to bear': Christine Chambers' father Ken, pictured with the victim's mother Jean during the trial, praised Essex Police for its support during the murder investigation but said he felt the force could have done more to prevent the deaths . 'For instance, we are still of the view she should have had a panic alarm installed at her home which may have allowed her to summon assistance at a crucial time after her phones had been smashed. 'And we think that officers dealing with ongoing incidents should have been more aware of the history and should have better identified the risks.' The IPCC said that, while individual . officers could have done things better, it was a failure of police . systems rather than of individuals. IPCC Commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said: 'The deaths of Christine and Shania Chambers are shocking to us all. 'It is impossible to say with any . certainty whether if individual officers or the force had done things . differently, Ms Chambers and Shania would still be alive today. 'While individual police officers . could and should have done things better, this is not essentially a . failure of individuals, but a failure of systems. 'The investigation identified a lack . of adequate training, insufficient resources allocated to domestic . violence cases and poor oversight. Murdered: Christine Chambers and her daughter, Shania, two, were shot dead at close range with a shotgun . 'This is a tragic and disturbing case . and the investigation has identified several key issues which apply to . many other cases where domestic homicide is the outcome. 'Many women are reluctant to pursue criminal proceedings against abusive partners, sometimes even to seek help at all. 'There are many reasons for this, and . often it is fear that they will exacerbate the situation and increase . the danger they face. 'Undoubtedly this poses significant . challenges for the police and other agencies, but it is essential in . these situations that all possible is done to protect the victims and . their children. 'Unwillingness to seek help or give . evidence against the perpetrator is often due to fear and can be a sign . of vulnerability, not culpability, and this must be recognised when a . risk assessment is completed.' Responding to the report, which was . released today, Essex Police said it accepted the findings and . apologised for the failings which had been identified. Assistant . Chief Constable Maurice Mason said: 'On behalf of everyone at Essex . Police, I extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of . Christine and Shania Chambers, who were brutally murdered by David Oakes . in the early hours of June 6, 2011. 'Essex Police accepts the findings of the IPCC report, and apologises for the failures identified there. 'Every . police officer involved in the case of Christine and Shania is . devastated by their passing. I too am devastated by their deaths. I . became a police officer to protect the vulnerable, and to put criminals . like Oakes behind bars. 'Essex Police is committed to working tirelessly to reduce the likelihood of tragedies such as this from occurring again.' He . added: 'The unbelievable inhumanity of these murders led Oakes to be . sentenced to two whole-life prison terms - the most extreme punishment . which the British judicial system can impose. 'You . would think that a man capable of such horror would have a history of . violence. Oakes did not: he had no convictions or cautions for violence. Murder weapon: The shotgun used by David Oakes to kill his partner and their two-year-old daughter . 'In fact, the IPCC has found that significant 'information concerning Oakes's violence towards Christine Chambers was not available to the police or social services. 'The IPCC also stated that there was no information that Oakes had access to a firearm. 'Essex Police acts promptly and decisively whenever it receives credible intelligence about illegally-held weapons. 'Essex Police accepts the report of the IPCC and welcomes the recommendation that processes should be developed for better information sharing between police forces and agencies such as social services, courts and solicitors. 'This is particularly important in cases involving child custody proceedings, where allegations of domestic violence have not been reported to officers. 'It should be stressed that the IPCC investigation found that it is impossible to say with any certainty that, if the force had done things differently, Christine and Shania would be alive today. 'It also found no evidence of misconduct by any of our officers.' Earlier this year, Essex Police apologised for its failings in a chillingly similar murder case. The force was reprimanded for its handling of the murder of Maria Stubbings - who was killed by her ex-partner in 2008. Maria, 50, was strangled to death with a dog lead in her Chelmsford home by convicted killer Marc Chivers just days after she had phoned Essex Police saying she was in danger. An IPCC report into Maria's murder concluded that the mother-of-two's death was 'predictable and preventable' and that she had been 'badly let down' by police. Ms Stubbings had phoned police to say she suspected Chivers had tried to break into her home, but the incident was not logged as domestic violence and was there not given a high priority. Essex Police response to IPCC report into the murders of Christine and Shania Chambers .
Essex Police took 'inadequate action' to arrest David Oakes before he shot his ex-partner Christine Chambers and daughter Shania .
Ms Chambers, 38, and Shania, 2, were murdered at their home in Braintree, Essex, in June 2011 .
Oakes, 50, 'systematically tortured' Ms Chambers in the hours before the murders while police attempted to negotiate with him .
Essex Police apologises after Independent Police Complaints Commission finds systemic failures in its handling of the case .
Ms Chambers' father: More should have been done to prevent the killings .
By . Rob Preece . PUBLISHED: . 04:44 EST, 22 August 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 07:48 EST, 22 August 2012 . A catalogue of police failings allowed a sadistic killer to murder his ex-partner and daughter, an investigation has found. Officers took 'inadequate action' to arrest David Oakes, 50, before he shot Christine Chambers, 38, and Shania, two, at their home in Braintree, Essex, the police watchdog concluded. Oakes, of Steeple, near Maldon, was given two whole-life jail terms after being found guilty of the murders, which happened in June last year. Scroll down for video . Sadistic: The Independent Police Complaints Commission found police took 'inadequate action' to arrest former nightclub bouncer David Oakes. He is pictured, left, in a police photograph taken prior to him murdering Christine Chambers and daughter Shania, and, right, baring his injured face last year after shooting himself following the savage killings . It emerged during his trial at . Chelmsford Crown Court that police had visited either his address or . Miss Chambers' home six times in the two years before the murders. The trial heard that Oakes stormed Ms . Chambers’ house and blasted her and their daughter Shania with a . shotgun just weeks after the family gained a restraining order against . him. He then shot himself in the face, but survived. The court heard that Oakes 'systematically tortured' Ms Chambers for several hours before the killings, forcing her to strip and cutting chunks from her hair. Ms Chambers' 10-year-old daughter fled the house during the ordeal as police outside attempted to negotiate with the killer. The couple, who had a long history of domestic abuse, were due to appear at a court custody hearing the next day. A damning report released today by . the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) concludes that Essex . Police missed chances to arrest Oakes before the killings. The IPCC investigation found a lack . of adequate training, insufficient resources allocated to domestic . violence cases and poor oversight by the force. It said inadequate action was taken . to arrest Oakes at the earliest opportunity when reports were made of . him breaching a non-molestation order. Killed: Christine Chambers and her daughter Shania were murdered at their Essex home in June 2011 . A catalogue of incidents involving . the couple reported to police over a two-year period were treated in . isolation by officers. The force failed to take into . consideration the possibility that Ms Chambers had not pursued . complaints against Oakes because she was scared of him, the . investigation found. Ms Chambers made a higher number of . calls to police in the two months before the murders, but the force . failed to respond properly, the report stated. Ms Chambers' father Ken praised Essex Police for its support during the murder investigation but said he felt the force could have done more to prevent the deaths. He said: 'As a family we would again like to say thank you to all those, including friends and neighbours, who have shown us such support and kindness since the murders of Christine and Shania. 'We have also received marvellous support from the police murder investigation team led by Detective Chief Inspector O'Toole, from police family liaison officers and the victim support service, and we are grateful to all of them for helping us through such a traumatic time. 'We have been kept informed by the IPCC of their investigation and findings and have had opportunity to read through and discuss their report. 'We realise one evil man is responsible for taking Christine and Shania away from us and not having them in our lives any more remains extremely difficult to bear. 'While we understand at times Christine could have been more cooperative with the police, we do feel that Essex Police could have done more to prevent the deaths; they should have taken greater steps to protect Christine. 'Difficult to bear': Christine Chambers' father Ken, pictured with the victim's mother Jean during the trial, praised Essex Police for its support during the murder investigation but said he felt the force could have done more to prevent the deaths . 'For instance, we are still of the view she should have had a panic alarm installed at her home which may have allowed her to summon assistance at a crucial time after her phones had been smashed. 'And we think that officers dealing with ongoing incidents should have been more aware of the history and should have better identified the risks.' The IPCC said that, while individual . officers could have done things better, it was a failure of police . systems rather than of individuals. IPCC Commissioner Rachel Cerfontyne said: 'The deaths of Christine and Shania Chambers are shocking to us all. 'It is impossible to say with any . certainty whether if individual officers or the force had done things . differently, Ms Chambers and Shania would still be alive today. 'While individual police officers . could and should have done things better, this is not essentially a . failure of individuals, but a failure of systems. 'The investigation identified a lack . of adequate training, insufficient resources allocated to domestic . violence cases and poor oversight. Murdered: Christine Chambers and her daughter, Shania, two, were shot dead at close range with a shotgun . 'This is a tragic and disturbing case . and the investigation has identified several key issues which apply to . many other cases where domestic homicide is the outcome. 'Many women are reluctant to pursue criminal proceedings against abusive partners, sometimes even to seek help at all. 'There are many reasons for this, and . often it is fear that they will exacerbate the situation and increase . the danger they face. 'Undoubtedly this poses significant . challenges for the police and other agencies, but it is essential in . these situations that all possible is done to protect the victims and . their children. 'Unwillingness to seek help or give . evidence against the perpetrator is often due to fear and can be a sign . of vulnerability, not culpability, and this must be recognised when a . risk assessment is completed.' Responding to the report, which was . released today, Essex Police said it accepted the findings and . apologised for the failings which had been identified. Assistant . Chief Constable Maurice Mason said: 'On behalf of everyone at Essex . Police, I extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of . Christine and Shania Chambers, who were brutally murdered by David Oakes . in the early hours of June 6, 2011. 'Essex Police accepts the findings of the IPCC report, and apologises for the failures identified there. 'Every . police officer involved in the case of Christine and Shania is . devastated by their passing. I too am devastated by their deaths. I . became a police officer to protect the vulnerable, and to put criminals . like Oakes behind bars. 'Essex Police is committed to working tirelessly to reduce the likelihood of tragedies such as this from occurring again.' He . added: 'The unbelievable inhumanity of these murders led Oakes to be . sentenced to two whole-life prison terms - the most extreme punishment . which the British judicial system can impose. 'You . would think that a man capable of such horror would have a history of . violence. Oakes did not: he had no convictions or cautions for violence. Murder weapon: The shotgun used by David Oakes to kill his partner and their two-year-old daughter . 'In fact, the IPCC has found that significant 'information concerning Oakes's violence towards Christine Chambers was not available to the police or social services. 'The IPCC also stated that there was no information that Oakes had access to a firearm. 'Essex Police acts promptly and decisively whenever it receives credible intelligence about illegally-held weapons. 'Essex Police accepts the report of the IPCC and welcomes the recommendation that processes should be developed for better information sharing between police forces and agencies such as social services, courts and solicitors. 'This is particularly important in cases involving child custody proceedings, where allegations of domestic violence have not been reported to officers. 'It should be stressed that the IPCC investigation found that it is impossible to say with any certainty that, if the force had done things differently, Christine and Shania would be alive today. 'It also found no evidence of misconduct by any of our officers.' Earlier this year, Essex Police apologised for its failings in a chillingly similar murder case. The force was reprimanded for its handling of the murder of Maria Stubbings - who was killed by her ex-partner in 2008. Maria, 50, was strangled to death with a dog lead in her Chelmsford home by convicted killer Marc Chivers just days after she had phoned Essex Police saying she was in danger. An IPCC report into Maria's murder concluded that the mother-of-two's death was 'predictable and preventable' and that she had been 'badly let down' by police. Ms Stubbings had phoned police to say she suspected Chivers had tried to break into her home, but the incident was not logged as domestic violence and was there not given a high priority. Essex Police response to IPCC report into the murders of Christine and Shania Chambers .
took 'inadequate action' to arrest David Oakes, 50, before he shot Christine Chambers, 38, and Shania, two, at their home in Braintree, Essex, . Sadistic: The Independent Police Complaints 'systematically tortured' Ms Chambers for several hours before the killings, forcing her to strip ordeal as police outside attempted to negotiate Christine Chambers and her daughter Shania were murdered at their Essex home in June 2011 . A Chambers' father Ken praised Essex Police for its to prevent the deaths; they should have taken reprimanded for its handling of the murder of into the murders of Christine and Shania Chambers