A former Metropolitan Police detective, Warren Arter, who was investigated for sexually exploiting vulnerable crime victims, lied about the death of his wife, Rebekah, in a Barbados hotel room. Arter first met Rebekah after she reported domestic abuse to the Met, and he then abused her for over a decade. Rebekah's death two years ago has never been properly investigated, with failures by Barbados authorities to preserve evidence and interview hotel staff about Arter's suspicious behavior.
Rebekah's family has spoken publicly for the first time, accusing the Met of failing her. The cause of her death is still unknown, with a UK coroner recording an open verdict. Hotel staff who were called to the room in June 2024 after Arter reported Rebekah's collapse have come forward, revealing that Arter gave conflicting accounts of her death, including telling staff and Rebekah's family that she had choked, fallen, or that he had woken up and found her dead.
Evidence was not secured, vital forensic tests were not taken, and Rebekah's organs were inexplicably "chopped up" by a pathologist in Barbados. Four days after Rebekah's death, a senior Met boss was briefed about the incident in light of Arter's alleged offending, but it did not lead to officers traveling to the Caribbean island. The Met told the BBC that it took this decision because no allegation of criminality had been made.
Arter, 54, took his own life in prison days after he had returned from Barbados and been arrested for allegedly abusing another woman. Rebekah had been escaping an abusive relationship when Arter investigated her case in 2006. The detective then pursued a relationship with her and moved in not long after. Three years later, he was placed in charge of a unit in south-east London investigating rape cases.
Arter was later suspended by the Met and investigated over his conduct towards eight alleged victims by its watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), but was never convicted. Over the seven years he was suspended, Arter continued to receive his full detective inspector salary, before being dismissed in 2023 for drug offenses. During this time, he subjected Rebekah to sexual and domestic abuse, coercive control, and drugging.
Hotel staff members have told the BBC that they were concerned about Arter's treatment of Rebekah during their stay. Security supervisor Kenneth says Arter appeared "controlling" and "didn't allow Rebekah to do anything on her own". Rebekah also frequently appeared to be "intoxicated", he says. A third member of staff, who worked on the front desk, says staff suspected Arter was "drugging" Rebekah.
Rebekah's son, Elliot, and his wife, Lacey, have told Panorama that the Met failed her. They revealed that Arter provided other possible causes of death, including that Rebekah had "choked" or that her drink had been spiked. These accounts are contradicted by Lacey, who says Arter told her that he and Rebekah had both been asleep for 18 hours and he had woken up and found her dead.
Key points
- The Met did not send detectives to Barbados to investigate Rebekah's death despite a request from her family for assistance.
- Warren Arter took his own life in prison days after being arrested for allegedly abusing another woman.
- Rebekah's death has never been properly investigated, with failures by Barbados authorities to preserve evidence and interview hotel staff about Arter's suspicious behavior.
