CONFUSION over Barry Stone's bail conditions led to a missed opportunity to jail the killer, an inquest has heard.

A catalogue of chances to put the violent 'animal' back behind bars have been revealed at the inquest into the death of care assistant Nicola Sutton.

Evidence heard yesterday from probation officials highlighted several opportunities had not been seized to recall Stone to prison in the month he was freed before killing his ex-girlfriend.

A combination of bungling probation workers and policy guidelines, which have now been changed, meant Stone, who had 51 convictions, was able to slip through their fingers.

The jury heard police errors also led to a critical gap in Nicola's protection.

The inquest was told it was not police remit to act on a non-criminal breach of licence conditions but officers would re-arrest offenders breaching their bail terms.

However, in November 2004 Stone breached his bail conditions, the day after he was arrested for a brutal attack against Nicola that left her unconscious, by contacting his ex threatening her to retract her statement.

Nicola's mum, Lynn Sutton, had previously told the inquest her daughter was terrified of Stone and had felt 'totally let down' by the system when he was released on bail the next morning despite receiving alleged promises he would be remanded.

PC Warren Nomdedeu, domestic violence liasion officer, had visited the Suttons' home to persuade Nicola to continue with the prosecution in the face of her fear of further repercussions.

The jury heard during his visit Nicola notified him of Stone's threatening call but in a radio check on the thug's bail terms he was mistakenly told the conditions were set on Stone's ex-wife Sarah Marshall.

Stone was never re-arrested and the charges against him were later dropped when Nicola became too distressed to testify.

It also emerged that Sgt Anthony White had not taken a statement from Nicola when she reported seeing Stone in an area of Orford banned to him for her protection on his release from jail in August 2006.

Sgt White said he had taken the decision based on his experience that CPS (Criminal Prosecution Service) would not have accepted her statement as sufficient evidence for prosecution and had submitted the sighting to the intelligence unit for other officers to be made aware of Stone driving illegally.

An officer's sighting, which he deemed highly likely, would have been strong evidence while avoiding Nicola putting herself in the situation of testifying against Stone when there was no guarantee the CPS would prosecute.

Chief Superintendent John Armstrong said Sgt White was correct in his actions despite no police sighting of Stone driving illegally was ever recorded during the six weeks he was free.

Evidence was also heard from DC Julie Cassie whose role at the time of Nicola's murder was managing violent offenders within MAPPA and former detective chief inspector Paul Rumney who conducted a review of police contact with the Sutton family between October 2005 up to her murder in 2006.

Now detective superintendent with Greater Manchester Police Paul Rumney said the review made some recommendations about 'hot trails' and 'meeting with various agencies'.

He said: "As long as (police and probation) work in different buildings with different computer systems there is the possibility of not all intelligence being passed as expeditiously as it might."

But when asked by the jury if any changes made since the review would have made any difference to Nicola's survival he said he did not think the police could have changed the outcome.

He said: "I think that the relations (with police and probation) are evolving and continue to get better.

"I don't think any additional activity by the police would have made a difference to the tragic outcome in 2006."

In the final day of evidence today, the jury also heard from prison governor Michael Lees of HMP Acklington in Northumberland - the last of five jails that housed Stone during his nine-month stint.

He told the court of Stone's alleged drug dealing and read out chilling letters sent by the killer containing evidence of witness intimidation that had been intercepted on PC Nomdedeu's request.

But they were deemed insufficient proof for a prosecution by CPS.

Cheshire Coroner Nicholas Rheinberg will sum up the evidence tomorrow.