From: "Chris R. Tame", [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Police slated for murder case failings > >Complaints authority accuses force of systemic failure over inquiry into >killing of businessman and 'ill-founded' prosecution of his wife > >Special report: policing crime > >Bob Woffinden >Monday January 15, 2001 > >The police complaints authority has found Sussex police guilty of "systemic" >failure over its handling of the investigation into the murder of a >businessman, Richard Watson. >The report will be one of the last from the PCA, which is due to be replaced >by an independent police complaints body, and is one of the most critical it >has made. One leading lawyer described it as "perhaps the most strongly >worded PCA report I've ever seen". > >Watson was murdered by an unknown gunman outside his home at East Grinstead, >Sussex, in December 1996. His wife Linda and stepdaughter Amanda were >charged with his murder, but acquitted. The PCA described the prosecution as >"ill-founded". > >Watson's wife, now known as Linda Henderson, said yesterday: "The energies I >would have used to fight for my husband's killer to be brought to justice >have had to be used to fight for my daughter and myself - two innocent >victims who became victims all over again, this time at the hands of Sussex >police." > >Mrs Henderson, a former beauty queen, and her daughter suffered not only the >grief and shock of bereavement, but also the trauma of being immediately >identified as key suspects. They were questioned for days and, over a period >of months, every detail of their private lives was minutely scrutinised. >Their house was bugged by police, they suffered the humiliation of >unnecessarily public arrests, were thrown into Holloway prison for two >weeks, and were vilified in sections of the media. > >When the case came up at the Old Bailey in June 1998 the prosecution offered >no evidence against them. The judge said they left court without a stain on >their character. > >After their acquittal the women contacted the PCA through their solicitor, >Jeff Hide. On behalf of the women he itemised 32 areas of complaint, >starting from when the original 999 call was made. > >The investigation was carried out on behalf of the PCA by a team from the >Metropolitan police headed by Commander Peter Clarke and Det Ch Insp Ian >Delbarre. The completed report has now been sent to Sussex police. Although >they have so far refused to disclose it, Duncan Gear, the PCA member dealing >with the case, has provided both women with a lengthy summary of its >findings. > >The PCA investigation has concluded: "Sussex police failed to properly >investigate the murder of Richard Watson and this arose from a systemic >failure by Sussex police." > >The police case was that Watson had been shot from the balcony of the house, >and that this implicated the women. The PCA, however, has found that: "Too >much significance was placed upon the belief Richard Watson had been shot >from the balcony - the evidence did not justify [this] scenario." > >Watson had some murky business dealings, and there were a number of very >obvious motives for his murder. The PCA concluded that "other lines of >inquiry were not adequately pursued and officers failed to keep an open >mind". > >The catalogue of complaints against Sussex police began with the immediate >response to the murder. At the time the two women were alone in the house. >The police station was less than half a mile away. Yet for almost an hour >after the 999 call the police refused to attend the crime scene, in case the >gunman was still there. > >Nor would they allow emergency medical services through, even though, for >all they knew, Watson's life could have been saved. > >In view of the wholesale failings which it identified, the PCA concluded >that "it would not be appropriate to institute formal disciplinary >proceedings against the junior officers. The main responsibility for the >errors identified must rest with Det Supt Paul Westwood in his capacity as >senior investigating officer". > >Mr Westwood, who declined to assist the PCA inquiry, has now retired from >the police and is no longer subject to police discipline regulations. > >His deputy, and the man who took over the investigation after Westwood's >retirement, was Det Insp Nicholas Siggs. The investigation found a complaint >about his conduct to be "substantiated". It laid the blame for "many" of the >errors with Mr Westwood and Mr Siggs. Mr Siggs has also retired from the >police and so is similarly outside the scope of disciplinary proceedings. > >Sussex police said: "We accept that there were serious shortcomings in >aspects of the original investigation. We are constantly reviewing our >procedures. This kind of review is valuable in highlighting any areas that >have been missed. > >"The investigation of murder is one of the most complex and difficult tasks >that the police undertake. Ninety-five per cent of murders in Sussex are >solved and the offenders brought to justice. We recognise that in this >instance we have not brought whoever was responsible to account." > >Neither Mr Westwood nor Mr Siggs could be reached for comment. Mr Gear's >letter to the dead man's widow concludes by saying: "The central >recommendation arising from the investigation into your complaints is that >the murder of Richard Watson should be reinvestigated." That is now being >done. > >"We are amazed and saddened," said Mr Hide, "that a police force should have >such serious faults in its murder investigation system. We are even more >astounded that, having been shown its faults, the force will not even >discuss redress, let alone offer a settlement, for the harm it has done." > >The women will need to bring civil proceedings against the police merely to >obtain a copy of the full report. Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ____________________________________________________________ T O P I C A -- Learn More. Surf Less. Newsletters, Tips and Discussions on Topics You Choose. http://www.topica.com/partner/tag01
