Interesting Police case - Old school or by the book ? Miranda / PACE (1 Viewer)

[The Military Workshop]

From Daily Mail today. Those with an interest in law enforcement may find this story interesting :

Murder detective who persuaded killer to lead him to two bodies could face sack - for failing to read him his rights

Steve Fulcher failed to read Christopher Halliwell his rights after he was arrested
Detective Superintendent Fulcher interviewed Halliwell without a solicitor being present
Halliwell led him to the bodies of Sian O'Callaghan and Rebecca Godden-Edwards

A murder detective who failed to read a killer his rights when persuading him to lead him to the bodies of two women could now face the sack.

Wiltshire Police Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher was praised for his bravery after Christopher Halliwell led him to where he had dumped the body of missing 22-year-old Sian O'Callaghan in 2011.

But the Independent Police Complaints Committee has said the officer should face a gross misconduct hearing after failing to read Halliwell his rights and interviewing him without a solicitor being present in a bid to find Miss O'Callaghan.

He should also face disciplinary action for briefing the press on the case when Wiltshire Police had ordered him not to.

Miss O'Callaghan, 22, had gone missing after a night out at a Swindon nightclub in March 2011.

Taxi driver Halliwell, 49, had been arrested days after the disappearance and in a three hour period led police to her body.

The killer then asked the detective if he 'wanted another one' and led him to the body of Rebecca Godden-Edwards who had been missing since 2002.

The 20-year-old had been missing since 2002, but her estranged family had never reported her missing because they believed she had moved to London after becoming hooked on drugs.

Despite revealing the location of the bodies, Halliwell was never convicted of killing Miss Godden-Edwards after a judge ruled that his confession was inadmissible because Mr Fulcher failed to follow the correct arrest procedures.

More at :
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...istopher-Halliwell-lead-bodies-face-sack.html

Brett

 

[DMNamiot]

What a bunch of BS! The guy should get a pat on the back for getting a scumbag killer to show him the bodies and not have to negotiate with a lawyer to get the guy off. As for the judge and the rest they are twits in the extreme. Find him guilty of illegal dumping and give him life in jail...or better yet hang him...

 

[gk5717]

Unless there was a form that the suspect had to sign all the detective should have said, whether he did or did not, was I read him his rights and he waived them and then made the statement. The officers word against a murderer, who would you believe?
Gary

 

[Desertkiwi]

Yeah seems unjust, but the superintendent would have known the risks he was taking by not following the rules. There is definitely a lot more going on here and I'm picking the DS went out on a limb out of necessity to get the right result.

In my opinion, a brave move on his behalf, considering the consequences........at least the offender got 25yrs for the second murder.

What makes things really outrageous is the fact that it was the father of the first victim, who made the complaint to the IPSS. This is the same family who by all accounts hadn't even listed their daughter as missing when she hadn't been in contact since 2002.

Whoever said the justice system was just....

Cheers for posting Brett^&grin

 

[The Military Workshop]

Yeah seems unjust, but the superintendent would have known the risks he was taking by not following the rules. There is definitely a lot more going on here and I'm picking the DS went out on a limb out of necessity to get the right result.

In my opinion, a brave move on his behalf, considering the consequences........at least the offender got 25yrs for the second murder.

What makes things really outrageous is the fact that it was the father of the first victim, who made the complaint to the IPSS. This is the same family who by all accounts hadn't even listed their daughter as missing when she hadn't been in contact since 2002.

Whoever said the justice system was just....

Cheers for posting Brett^&grin

Todd,
Agree. A career affecting decision on his part. He knew what he was doing and thought the result was worth it.

The father complaining is a bit much. Two options. Finding his long dead daughter or never having any contact
or knowing she was actually dead. If the DS had not done what he did would never have discovered the
unknown murder case.

The sort of Detective every senior officer likes as get the results. Until of course he gets caught out and then
have to formally disapprove of his tactics.

Brett