27 January 2012

Networked Knowledge Media Reports Networked Knowledge UK Cases Homepage: http://netk.net.au/UKHome.asp On 27 January 2012 Kerry McQueeney in the Mail Online reported “Evidence supposedly 'shredded' that caused collapse of notorious £30m Cardiff Three police corruption trial 'found in a box'”. Three innocent men jailed for the murder of prostitute Lynette White in 1988 They were released on appeal two years later after judge criticises original police investigation Corruption trial accusing detectives of fabricating evidence collapses after missing files were 'destroyed' Investigators find 'shredded' documents intact and in their original boxes Missing documents that sparked the collapse of a police corruption case - in which officers were accused of fitting up three innocent men for the murder of a prostitute - have been found intact, despite claims the files had been shredded. Ten people, including eight former police officers, were accused of fabricating a case which led to the wrongful jailing of three innocent men for the murder of Lynette White in 1988. However, the multi-million pound case collapsed in farce last month after the court was told crucial evidence had been shredded. Now, it has been confirmed that the supposedly destroyed documents have been found intact and in their original boxes by investigators. Yusef Abdullahi, Tony Paris and Stephen Miller became known as the 'Cardiff Three' when they were wrongly jailed for the murder of Lynette White in 1990. They were freed by the Court of Appeal in 1992 after a judge heavily criticised the original police investigation into the 20-year-old's murder. South Wales Police mounted an eight-year inquiry into the case which led to the eight officers being accused of fabricating evidence to frame the ‘Cardiff Three’ and two other men, cousins John and Ronnie Actie who were acquitted in 1990. Chief superintendent Thomas Page, 62, and chief inspectors Graham Mouncher, 59, and Richard Powell, 58, were alleged to have colluded with five other detectives – Michael Daniels, 62, Paul Jennings, 51, Paul Stephen, 50, Peter Greenwood, 59, and John Seaford, 62 – to pervert the course of justice. All were acquitted last month after Swansea Crown Court heard that a top cold-case detective at South Wales Police (SWP) had ordered the destruction of files containing evidence relating to the case. Mr Justice Sweeney discharged the jury telling them the accused could not get a fair trial. Four other ex-policemen, also jointly accused of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, were due to stand trial separately next year. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), which is investigating the collapse, revealed the missing files had been found in the hands of SWP. The revelation prompted Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer QC, to order an independent probe into the disclosure exercise conducted by prosecutors involved in the case. Stephen Miller, who was wrongly jailed for the murder, last night reacted angrily to the development describing it as 'ridiculous'. He told the Independent: 'There has to be a public inquiry. Some of my co-accused have now passed away - where is the justice for them?' IPCC commissioner Sarah Green confirmed documents that the Lynette White trial was told may have been destroyed and 'were not shredded as first thought'. She said: 'The court was told that some inquiries had been made about documents relating to complaints made to the IPCC itself and that it seemed that these documents may have been shredded on the orders of SWP senior investigating officer Chris Coutts. 'The documents were found in the original boxes that the IPCC had sent those files to SWP as part of the trial disclosure process in 2009. These boxes were still in the possession of SWP and have subsequently been verified.' The IPCC said its ongoing investigation would seek to establish what happened to the two files of documents, while liaising with officals from the Crown Prosecution Service. Mr Starmer, who was informed of the discovery by the IPCC, said: 'Shortly after the collapse of this trial I initiated a full and detailed review of the circumstances in which the decision to offer no further evidence was made. 'I asked leading counsel for the prosecution to prepare a comprehensive analysis of the reasons for the decision. 'I have now considered that analysis and as part of the review have decided to ask Her Majesty's Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, an independent statutory body, to consider the way in which the prosecution team conducted the disclosure exercise in this case.' Miss White's body was found with more than 50 stab wounds. Detectives arrested Mr Miller, Yusef Abdullahi, Tony Paris and cousins Ronnie and John Actie for murder. The cousins were cleared but the three other men went on to serve two years in prison before being released on appeal. Mr Abdullahi, 49, died last year. In 2003, Jeffrey Gafoor, a client of Miss White, admitted murdering her and is now serving life behind bars. His admission was the catalyst for the investigation into the officers in the original case. Arrests were made in 2005, and the 10 defendants went on trial accused of bullying witnesses into agreeing to fabricated accounts of the killing. Senior among them were ex- superintendent Richard Powell, 58, and former chief inspectors Thomas Page, 62, and Graham Mouncher, 59. They were accused of conspiring with Michael Daniels, 62, Paul Jennings, 51, Paul Stephen, 50, Peter Greenwood, 59, and John Seaford, 62, to pervert the course of justice. Civilians Violet Perriam, 61, and Ian Massey, 57, together with Mouncher, were also accused of two counts of perjury. When the trial collapsed it was wrongly claimed Mr Coutts, who headed the cold case review, had ordered the destruction of material relating to a complaint made by John Actie to the IPOCC. Mr Starmer added that he had agreed a number of terms of reference with HM Chief Inspector, Michael Fuller. They include the HMCPSI's independent review to examine whether the prosecution team 'approached, prepared and managed disclosure in this case effectively'. Another area which will be looked at is whether the prosecution team 'complied with their disclosure duties properly'. Mr Fuller said: 'It is important the public can have confidence in the way the CPS conducts its cases and the Inspectorate will examine the issues with the utmost thoroughness. 'South Wales Police has decided to refer their part in this matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission and we will work in tandem with the IPCC inquiry into what happened.' A South Wales Police spokesman said: 'This is an ongoing IPCC investigation and, as such, it would be inappropriate to comment.' THE CONFUSION, CONTROVERSY AND SHAME SURROUNDING THE MURDER LOCALS DUBBED THE 'ST VALENTINE'S DAY MASSACRE' The murder of prostitute Lynette White in her small dingy flat above a Cardiff bookmakers shop was so brutal locals dubbed it the St Valentine’s Day Massacre. She was stabbed more than 50 times on February 14, 1988, in a frenzied, sustained attack. Even now, almost 24 years on, the case - and its multi-million pound investigation - remains mired in confusion, controversy and shame. People were wrongly convicted of murdering the 20-year-old prostitute, in a gross miscarriage of justice, and police investigators found themselves standing in the dock. Amid inquiry after inquiry, judges and barristers have been scathing of alleged police abuses claiming witnesses had been intimidated and manipulated. It had seemed so simple back in November 1988 when five black men were charged with murder – much of the prosecution evidence had come from prostitute friends of Miss White. One of the accused had a mental age of 11 and was said to have confessed to the murder after denying it on more than 300 occasions over several days of intensive police questioning. During the trial of the men, the judge had died unexpectedly and a second trial – which lasted 197 days – was ordered. Two of the men were cleared but their friends Yusef Abdullahi, Tony Paris and Stephen Miller were found guilty and sentenced to life in jail. The men became known as the 'Cardiff Three' as disturbing doubts soon emerged about the conviction of the men. In 1992 the Court of Appeal quashed the guilty verdicts and said a gross miscarriage of justice had taken place. Lord Justice Taylor criticised police officers in a devastating ruling for the way they had interviewed Miller. 'Travesty of an interview' - Lord Justice Taylor He said it had been a ‘travesty of an interview’ and that ‘short of physical violence, it was hard to conceive of a more hostile and intimidating approach by officers to a suspect’. A fresh murder inquiry was launched by South Wales Police in September 2002, with forensic tests leading to a breakthrough on traces of blood from the crime scene. No match was found in the DNA database but officers then revealed a partial match with a youth who had not been born when the killing happened. Tests on relatives of the 14-year-old found a close DNA match for a man called Jeffrey Gafoor, an uncle of the boy. A security guard from Bridgend, he was jailed for life in July 2003 after pleading guilty to Miss White’s murder. After an Independent Police Complaints Commission inquiry, five retired police officers were arrested in April 2005 in connection with offences of false imprisonment, conspiring to pervert the course of justice and misconduct in public office. Days later, four more retired police officers were arrested in connection with their roles in the original murder investigation together with 13 others who were questioned in connection with evidence and information that they had provided in 1988 which had incriminated the Cardiff Three.

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