UK - (Christopher Halliwell) Rebecca Godden-Edwards, 21, Swindon, 27 Dec 2002

[Alyce]

Excellent news

 

[Cherwell]

Good to see Steve Fulcher vindicated.

Here's a 2012 report from the Telegraph:

Mrs Edwards refused to criticise DS Fulcher and instead condemned the law for putting the killer’s rights above those of her daughter.

She told the Daily Telegraph: “I think that Steve Fulcher is a hero and I just want to give him a big hug for what he has done. “He is a dedicated police officer and a committed family man and he has lost his job, doing his job – trying to catch a murderer.”

She added: “If he had played by the book, Halliwell would have been taken back to the police station with a lawyer and would have never said a word about where Becky and Sian’s bodies were. Two families would have been left not knowing what had happened to their loved ones. How can what Steve Fulcher did be wrong?”

Mrs Edwards’s went on: “It is all about Halliwell’s human rights, but what about my human rights? What about Becky’s human rights?

“We are living in a nanny state, where it is all about the human rights of the of those who commit crimes."

 

[Cherwell]

And wow - what a contrast to Becky's father.

Speaking outside of court, Becky's father John Godden said he was angry about how his daughter had been portrayed and he criticised the police investigation into her death.

He said: "I can tell you wonderful things about Becky. Absolutely wonderful things. I am actually sick and tired about the way she's being portrayed.

"She's being portrayed as if she deserved to get murdered. No matter what she did in her life, she didn't deserve to get murdered. And she deserved justice six years ago.

"The Wiltshire Police are massively at fault."

He says some shocking things in the accompanying video. I'd better not say what I think of him.

They've [Wilts Police] got to be investigated properly for what they did to me mentally. This case should have been done six year ago.

And for a man to take the law into his own hands, and not get prosecuted for it, is absolutely bloody disgusting.

I'm raging, I'm upset and I'm mentally scarred for what that one man did. I blame him just as much as Halliwell.

And the man's writing a book, and I hope he's not using my daughter's name in that book, because he hasn't got my permission.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-37450337

 

[jessie]

And wow - what a contrast to Becky's father.



He says some shocking things in the accompanying video. I'd better not say what I think of him.



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-37450337

It is understandable that during such an emotional time people are prone to 'let rip'.
I expect it's the tremendous anger he feels at what happened to his daughter and the need for blame.
It isn't reasonable but I don't suppose he will ever feel reasonable on the subject of losing his daughter.

 

[Cherwell]

It is understandable that during such an emotional time people are prone to 'let rip'.
I expect it's the tremendous anger he feels at what happened to his daughter and the need for blame.
It isn't reasonable but I don't suppose he will ever feel reasonable on the subject of losing his daughter.

He has Halliwell to blame. No need to look further.

I suspect that he is deeply mortified and in denial about the kind of life she was leading. He would perhaps prefer that she had never been found, so that he could pretend to himself that she was alive and well and living a safe, respectable and happy life somewhere.

 

[jessie]

He has Halliwell to blame. No need to look further.

I suspect that he is deeply mortified and in denial about the kind of life she was leading. He would perhaps prefer that she had never been found, so that he could pretend to himself that she was alive and well and living a safe, respectable and happy life somewhere.

Absolutely. I almost wrote those words in my post. Everyone copes with things differently though.

I just feel the press should back off a bit, they get people to talk by taking advantage of those emotional situations. imo

 

[Cherwell]

Absolutely. I almost wrote those words in my post. Everyone copes with things differently though.

I just feel the press should back off a bit, they get people to talk by taking advantage of those emotional situations. imo

I don't think he's needed any encouragement to spout his vitriol.

 

[Alyce]

In the aftermath of Halliwell’s arrest, Fulcher was nominated for a Queen’s Police Medal.

It was a fitting tribute for a man who prided himself on putting victims and their families first.
Sian O’Callaghan’s family certainly think so, as does Becky Godden’s mother Karen. They have been fulsome in their support of a man they believe acted solely in their best interest.

‘It’s taken all this time for Becky’s case to come to court,’ he says. ‘But forensic evidence that has been used to convict [Halliwell] was available back in 2011. [Wiltshire police] chose not to pursue it. Instead resources went into investigating me for years.’

When you suspect someone has been abducted or kidnapped their life remains under threat, and there are very clear procedural rules about that.’
So clear, in fact, that there is a police manual – The Kidnap Manual – with precise guidelines. ‘What that manual makes very clear is the primary crucial objective is the preservation of life,’ says Fulcher.






Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-questions-modern-policing.html#ixzz4LAJZuGGy
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook




Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-questions-modern-policing.html#ixzz4LAJI6VLB
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[Alyce]

Interesting point re the date of March 19


Karen Edwards is convinced Christopher Halliwell killed four other girls

Halliwell killed her daughter, Becky Godden, and Sian O'Callaghan

Sally Ann John, Melanie Hall, Linda Razell and Claudia Lawrence could have all been killed by him

Two of the girls vanished on the same date as Miss O'Callaghan


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...illing-links-missing-women.html#ixzz4LFeW7tMA
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

 

[Alyce]

Police have begun digging up the garden of notorious double murderer Christopher Halliwell.

Wiltshire Police has confirmed it is excavating the gardens of two properties in Swindon on the street where the killer taxi driver once lived.

The Mirror Online reports the dig is being carried out at 96 Broad Street in the town.



Read more at http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/8203-p...0150143-detail/story.html#miI3DxsQjfOOuYTy.99



http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/8203-p...er-halliwell/story-30150143-detail/story.html

 

[Alyce]

Work at the addresses in Broad Street is expected to last for five days.

The intelligence-led activity is part of an ongoing investigation carried out by the Brunel Major Crime Investigation Team.

Detective Chief Inspector Jeremy Carter, who is leading the investigation, said: 'Searches are being conducted in the gardens and garages of two properties in Broad Street over this coming week.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ig-garden-murderer-Christopher-Halliwell.html

 

[Dci neddog]

He has never admitted to killing Becky who showed who?

 

[Dci neddog]

Surprise surprise nothing found !

 

[Dci neddog]

Same wavelength as me !

 

[Dci neddog]

What a load of rubbish ! The case was a farce an entire joke of the corrupt law systems with police officers breaking the law & getting away with it !

 

[Dci neddog]

They changed her name without the knowledge or permission of her father ! It confused the public !,,

 

[No Filter]

Maybe he has a point.
It's quite strange how he doesn't really get to have his voice heard and his concerns followed up and yet KE seems to be driving things forward.
Since all of this she has appeared on TVs judge Rinders programme, has been in several news papers and Fulcher has published a book.
It's too Madeline McCann like for my liking.
This case has many flaws.

 

[Dci neddog]

Becky's father no fool !

 

[Legally Bland]

He has never admitted to killing Becky who showed who?

It's not disputed that Halliwell led the police to the body, he admitted that. He made up some rubbish to blame it on a couple of drug dealers he was driving around in his taxi.

The police messed this up, but I can't see how the conclusion can be made that Halliwell was fitted up (if that's the implication).

As for Becky's father, whilst he has criticised the police investigation, I've never seen him question Halliwell's guilt. Quite the opposite.

 

[Legally Bland]

IOPC managed investigation finds missed opportunities in Becky Godden-Edwards murder inquiry​

Published
02 Sep 2022

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An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) managed investigation has found that Wiltshire Police missed significant opportunities to bring Christopher Halliwell to justice sooner for the murder of Becky Godden-Edwards.
The investigation found that between 2011-14 the murder inquiry was poorly progressed and supervised, reasonable lines of enquiry were not pursued, and key evidence was not forensically examined.
The IOPC has made recommendations to Wiltshire Police which are focussed on ensuring better strategic oversight and review of murder investigations and improved use of the major inquiry system HOLMES, in line with national guidelines. Those recommendations have already been acted on by the force.
The investigation, carried out by the Bedfordshire/Cambridgeshire/Hertfordshire Police Professional Standards Department under the IOPC’s direction and control, examined a series of complaints from Becky’s mother, Mrs Karen Edwards.
Halliwell confessed to Becky’s murder in March 2011, when he was arrested over the death of Sian O’Callaghan. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for Ms O’Callaghan’s murder in 2012, but the judge had earlier ruled the confession evidence concerning Becky’s murder was inadmissible due to the manner in which it was obtained. As a consequence, Halliwell was not brought to trial for Becky’s murder until September 2016, when a different judge ruled the confession evidence concerning Becky’s murder was admissible.
Examples of Wiltshire Police’s failure to progress reasonable lines of enquiry prior to 2014 included:

• a soil sample from a spade belonging to Halliwell, seized when he was arrested in 2011, was not forensically examined until three years later – it was then matched to rare soil in the field where Becky was found
• a pond in Ramsbury later identified as Halliwell’s ‘trophy store’, from which women’s clothing and other exhibits were retrieved, was not investigated until 2014, by which time items had degraded and lost any forensic potential; a gamekeeper at Ramsbury told the incident room in 2011 about seeing a taxi at the location at or around the time when Sian O’Callaghan was abducted, but this evidence wasn’t explored, and no witness statement was obtained until February 2015
• evidence from an RAC recovery driver who attended to Halliwell’s broken down vehicle in the early hours of 3 January 2003, six miles from where Becky had been buried – a limited RAC record of the call out was known to police in 2011, but detailed evidence was only established after more stringent enquiries three years later
• evidence from a GP in April 2011 that Halliwell had visited their surgery on 3 January 2003 with severe scratches to his face and damage to his hand, claiming he had been assaulted by a passenger in his taxi – Halliwell had not reported this alleged assault to police, but he had reported a similar incident previously, which indicated this was potentially suspicious
• the evidence of a medical officer at Gablecross custody suite, who stated on 24 March 2011 that Halliwell told him he had been arrested for killing two people - this formed part of the evidence used to convict him in 2016
• had the above witness and forensic evidence been available or the Crown Prosecution Service been made aware of outstanding lines of enquiry prior to the pre-trial hearing in early 2012, at which Halliwell’s confession was ruled inadmissible, it may have led to either a different judicial decision, an appeal against the inadmissibility ruling, or a potential prosecution for Becky’s murder at that time.

We examined allegations against three Wiltshire Police officers. At the end of the investigation, it was decided there was a case to answer for misconduct for Chief Constable Kier Pritchard, who was then-Head of Protective Services for Wiltshire Police, in the rank of Detective Chief Superintendent (DCS). The case to answer decision was in respect of allegations that, in his oversight and scrutiny role, he did not ensure a sufficiently thorough murder inquiry or ensure that necessary case reviews were conducted, and that he appointed a lower ranking and insufficiently experienced senior investigating officer to lead the inquiry in 2012. It was agreed with the Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner that he would receive management action.
No case to answer was found against the then-Deputy Chief Constable, Mike Veale, and the senior investigating officer between 2011-14, Detective Inspector Matt Davey. Neither is still a serving police officer. The investigation determined that Mr Veale was not responsible for oversight of the murder inquiry and had a separate role heading up the force’s Gold Group concerning then-Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher’s disciplinary proceedings. Mr Davey was an inexperienced senior investigating officer, accredited in June 2011, and Becky’s was his first murder inquiry. The evidence indicates that he was placed in sole charge without appropriate resourcing, supervision, or governance in place.
The IOPC managed investigation gathered and examined a significant volume of documents including policy books, HOLMES databases, Gold Group minutes, force media releases, case files submitted to the CPS, forensic and crime scene manager strategies, case reviews, court transcripts and evidence presented at a pre-trial hearing in early 2012. Investigators spoke to key individuals involved as witnesses, as well gaining accounts from the three subject officers. The investigation team met with Mrs Edwards during the investigation to update her on progress. The investigation considered relevant legislation and national police guidance on the use of HOLMES and carrying out murder investigations, as well as CPS guidance on the prosecution of homicide cases.
IOPC regional director Catrin Evans said: “Our sympathies go out to the family of Becky Godden-Edwards for their awful loss. Mrs Edwards has waited patiently for the outcome of the lengthy and complex investigation into her complaint that Halliwell should have brought to justice sooner for her daughter’s murder. Our investigation found serious failings in the way the force handled the murder investigation, after the initial charges relating to Becky’s murder were dropped in February 2012. In our view, the issues that arose stemmed from a combination of systemic weaknesses within the force at the time as well as individual shortcomings. Our investigation indicated that no one in Wiltshire Police took responsibility for ensuring that the murder inquiry progressed effectively.
“We have been liaising with Wiltshire Police, who have co-operated fully throughout the investigation. They have already acted on a series of recommendations to try to ensure that mistakes the force made over the accountability for, and direction of, this murder investigation are not repeated. The force at the time allowed a fog of confusion to develop regarding who was in command. This led to the murder investigation stalling, a lack of appropriate reviews, and obvious lines of enquiry that were potentially capable of securing Halliwell’s conviction being overlooked. It was only after DCI Memory took over the murder inquiry, with oversight from 2014 by then-Assistant Chief Constable Pritchard, that earlier missed evidential opportunities were acted on, culminating in Halliwell finally being brought to justice.”
Among the ten recommendations made by the IOPC managed investigation are:

• that Wiltshire Police ensures relevant force policy and/or guidance sets out the responsibility for Chairs of Gold Groups to maintain a policy log and to submit that policy log for inclusion on HOLMES.
• that Wiltshire Police ensures that all Gold Groups have clear objectives or terms of reference covering the oversight of investigations, roles and responsibilities, and wider organisational objectives.
• that Wiltshire Police reminds relevant investigation teams that independent reviews of murder investigations should be undertaken in line with national guidance and that any deviation from this is logged as a policy decision.
• that Wiltshire Police ensures relevant force policy and training is clear about when a Gold Group should be set up for an investigation, including for all Category A murders, and when a Gold Group can be stood down.

We are also publishing an independent learning report and a full list of the recommendations today.

IOPC managed investigation finds missed opportunities in Becky Godden-Edwards murder inquiry | Independent Office for Police Conduct

www.policeconduct.gov.uk