Why did Lynette White murder documents go missing? Police on trial
WHEN the trial of eight former South Wales police officers for alleged corruption collapsed at Swansea Crown Court – they stood accused of fabricating evidence over the murder of Lynette White in 1988 – we sighed. You see, four documents had been shredded. These documents were said to contain complaints made by one of the men sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. The facts were not all there. The eight could not go on trial. It would not be fair.
Only, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) now says the documents are still in a box.
Odd.
The eight former officers and two civilians were accused of wrongdoing in light of the wrongful convictions of the “Cardiff Three”.
So. Who said the documents had been shredded? Why didn’t the police and all those in-house trained investigators investigate where the documents were? Why have the documents now reappeared? How do the accused feel about a shadow being cast over them again? What say the Cardiff Three. No word yet from either group.
Sarah Green, an IPCC commissioner, says:
“The documents were found in the original boxes that the IPCC had sent to South Wales Police as part of the trial disclosure process in 2009. These boxes were still in the possession of South Wales Police and have subsequently been verified.”
Odd.
The Cardiff Three are: Tony Paris, Yusef Abdullahi and Stephen Miller. They each served two years in prison for a murder they did not commit. They were released in 1992.
Also damaged by the gross miscarriage of justice were John and Ronnie Actie, who were acquitted of any offence. Before the trial they had already spent two years in prison.
In 2003, Jeffrey Gafoor, who had hired Lynette White as a prostitue, admitted to her murder.
A South Wales Police spokesman tells media:
“This is an ongoing IPCC investigation and, as such, it would be inappropriate to comment.”
No. It wouldn’t. Talk. Tell all. Let us decide what is inappropriate…
Posted: 26th, January 2012 | In: Reviews Comments (2) | TrackBack | Permalink
