PARENTS of a murdered woman have launched a legal bid into whether police could have prevented her death.

Chef Robert Trigg murdered girlfriend Susan Nicholson nine years ago in her Worthing home but was not questioned by officers until November 2016.

He was jailed for life three years ago for the murder of Ms Nicholson, 52, and the manslaughter of Caroline Devlin, 35, in 2006. after a lengthy campaign by Susan’s elderly parents Peter and Elizabeth Skelton.

Now the grief-stricken couple will argue for full probe into her death at a Royal Courts of Justice hearing beginning on March 24.

“I see this hearing as an opportunity to make sure that there is a proper inquiry into whether Susan’s death could have been prevented,” Mr Skelton said.

“Sussex Police had all the information about Trigg’s history of violence against Susan and other women.

“We want to ask the officers what they did to protect Susan.

“We had hoped Sussex Police would want their officers to be alert to the dangers faced by victims of domestic violence and protecting them properly.

“We are hurt and disappointed that they have chosen to fight our challenge instead and that they want us to pay their legal costs if we lose.”

Last year lawyer Heather Williams told a coroner’s court hearing police had missed “many opportunities” to investigate Trigg and prevent Ms Nicholson’s murder.

Ms Williams said Sussex Police knew Trigg had been cautioned for beating another former girlfriend “to a pulp” in 2003.

Only a couple of days before she was killed, the police cautioned Trigg for punching Ms Nicholson in the face, the court heard.

“If the police had checked Trigg on their databases then bells should have been ringing.

“Susan wasn’t killed out of the blue,” Ms Williams told the court.

But Sussex Police lawyer Gilly Jones said officers saw no suspicious circumstances or reports of assault at the time.

After the hearing West Sussex Coroner’s Court decided against a full inquest into Ms Nicholson’s death, a decision the Skeltons want overturned.

“The behaviour of Sussex Police in this case is bad news for victims of domestic violence,” said lawyer Alice Hardy.

Sussex Police said they were unable to comment on the case.