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More Bridgewater evidence suppressed? (1)

01 January 1991

More Bridgewater evidence suppressed?
artdoc August=1994

Fingerprint evidence which could have formed an important part
of the defence of the Bridgewater Four was never disclosed to the
men, their lawyers claimed in June. Combing through
contemporaneous newspaper reports of the police investigation
into Carl Bridgewater's murder in 1978, lawyers found references
to fingerprints found on items taken from the farm where Carl was
killed. Police believed the prints were those of his killers. But
none of the prints matched any of the four men later arrested and
convicted of his murder, and the defence team was never told of
the existence of the prints. Staffordshire police, who were asked
to release the evidence on 8 June, a year after a dossier of new
evidence was handed in to the Home Secretary, have so far failed
to release it, saying they are taking legal advice. Guardian
8.6.94.

Statewatch, Vol 4 no 4, July-August 1994