University of Plymouth lecturer Claire Chick, 48, was found seriously injured in Plymouth this week and later died in hospital, while investigating police later made an arrest
The heartbroken family of a “beautiful and lively” grandmother and popular university lecturer killed this week have paid tribute to her – and promised to “make her proud”.
Claire Chick, 48, was found seriously injured in a Plymouth street on Wednesday, and died in hospital. A man was later arrested about 20 miles away in the Liskeard area of Cornwall.
Ms Chick worked as a lecturer at the University of Plymouth and was previously known as Claire Butler. Her family said in a statement: “We are absolutely devastated and broken at the loss of our beautiful caring mother Claire Chick.
“She was the most beautiful, lively soul and was there for everyone. Everyone who knew our mum had so many positive words to say about her. She was the life and soul of any place where she was.
“She loved to dance and sing, even though she was pretty bad at it; she had no shame in doing it in front of any audience. We will never get over this as a family, she was our glue and our go-to. We won’t ever get the justice our mum deserves for this, because no amount of justice will bring her back.
“We want to thank everyone for their kind words, and we invite anyone who knew her to share their memories of her. “We also would like to remind the public she leaves behind five beautiful grandchildren who all refer to her as ‘a favourite grandma’.
“We ask you to respect their privacy, and everyone remains respectful to them. She may be gone but her spirit will always remain alive. We love you mum, and we promise to make you proud.”
Video footage on social media appeared to show numerous police cars and ambulances parked in West Hoe Road on Wednesday evening, near to a post office and the West Hoe pub. Several streets in the West Hoe area were cordoned off and there was a heavy police presence throughout the day.
Vice-chancellor Professor Richard Davies said: “We have been shocked and saddened by the death of a much-loved member of our university community. Having spoken with Claire’s colleagues, I know that her contribution to Plymouth was significant and deeply felt – she was a respected nurse, lecturer, and personal tutor, ensuring students were supported academically and pastorally.
“As associate head of school for international in our school of nursing and midwifery, she was closely involved in developing nursing programmes, students and academics in Europe, Africa and Asia. As a colleague, Claire’s humour and warmth will be dearly missed by academic and support staff.
“Pastoral support is in place for staff and students who knew Claire and have been affected by this tragic news, and further events are being organised to remember her. In the meantime, our thoughts are with Claire’s family and friends at this impossibly difficult time.”
Devon and Cornwall Police have referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) because of “previous contact with the victim”. Detective Inspector Rob Smith, who is leading the investigation, added: “We continue to support Claire’s family at what is an extremely awful time for them.
“I would ask for their privacy to be respected and to allow them the space to grieve. While we continue with our inquiries into the incident, I would urge the public not to speculate but to contact us if they have any relevant information which has not yet been shared with us.
“Once again, we would like to thank the local community for their support throughout this incident. This has been an incredibly tough and understandably concerning time for the city. A 53-year-old man from Plymouth remains in custody having been arrested on suspicion of murder.”
An IOPC spokesman said: “We understand Devon and Cornwall Police are planning to make a referral in relation to this. When we receive it we will carry out an assessment to decide what further action is required by us.”