Court of Appeal hears new case involving squad
01 January 1991
Court of Appeal hears new case involving squad
artdoc May=1991
Another case involving claims of fabricated confessions by the West
Midlands Serious Crime Squad is presently being heard by the Court of
Appeal. John Edwards is one of 15 applicants who are appealing against
convictions based on the squad's evidence. Two men have already been
freed by the Court of Appeal and lawyers say that Mr. Edwards' case is
remarkably similar to that of Hassan Khan (see Bulletin No. 59) , the
second of the men to be acquitted. Both men are alleged to have
confessed to the police in `car-seat confessions'. A handwriting expert
has suggested that Mr. Edwards' confessions did not take place at the
time given by detectives, and doubt has been cast on the evidence of the
chief (and only) prosecution witness who Mr. Edwards claims did a deal
with the police to receive a lighter sentence.
Central to the defence case has been an attempt to get the Court of
Appeal to consider `evidence of a pattern of corruption' among members
of the West Midlands Police Serious Crime Squad. Lord Lane says that he
wants more information from the Police Complaints Authority before
deciding whether misconduct in other cases threw doubt on the
prosecution of Mr. Edwards. (Independent 30.10.90, 3 and 6.11.90; Times
3 and 5.11.90)
Investigation is a witch-hunt
An unidentified high ranking officer and a former member of the West
Midlands Serious Crime Squad say that investigations of the squad are
now a `witch-hunt', following an application by six senior members of
the squad to be reinstated to operational duties. The officers claim
that there is a `slow burning fuse' of anger over the length of the
enquiry. Twenty former squad members had been offered psychological
counselling for stress and one had openly talked of suicide. `We see it
now as a witch hunt', said the senior officer.
Meanwhile, Detective Sergeant Michael Horby, who is facing a number
of allegations of corruption, is to take early retirement on health
grounds. Allegations against Detective Sergeant Horby date back to the
earliest days of the squad and the case of the Birmingham Six. In
November 1974, he is alleged to have threatened Hugh Callaghan, one of
the six, into signing a confession. In August last year he was accused
at Birmingham Crown Court of being involved in the disappearance of a
police file that was booked out in his name.
There is now speculation that other serious crime squad officers
will seek early retirement which will ensure that they will not face
police disciplinary action, although they will not be exempted from
criminal charges. (Independent 6.11.90)
IRR Police-Media Bulletin, no 65. Institute of Race Relations, 2-6 Leeke
Street, London WC1X 9HS