PoppyMeze

Saturday 20 February 2016

Jeremy Bamber: 2016 Thirtieth Anniversary


of his incarceration for a crime he could not have committed.

I live five miles or so from Goldhanger, where Jeremy Bamber once lived.  The story of the tragedy at White House Farm in 1985 and Jeremy’s trial and conviction of the murder of his entire family, thirty years ago this year, has been wrapped in mythology and many, ignorant of the facts, just accept the lies as truth.

Although innocent with credible documented evidence to support that fact, Jeremy is kept incarcerated by what many of his supporters believe is an abuse of the workings of the UK Criminal Justice System.  Many also believe that although certain MPs and government ministers may be aware of this injustice, they fear to speak out as the level of police corruption and non-disclosure of evidence would lead to a massive public outcry along with prosecutions.

I correspond with Jeremy in prison and he telephones me regularly.  I have several letters from him evidencing police documents and logs contained in over one hundred and thirty files earmarked for Public Interest Immunity (PII), which were sent to Jeremy 'inadvertently'.  Files stretching from the floor to the ceiling of his cell; evidencing, police cover-up and collusion.   There are many more documents which Police Authorities refuse to release - they have also illegally destroyed many others.  An example, in 1994 and 2002 a judge ruled that the Crown was to disclose all material, relating to the case, to Jeremy Bamber's legal team.  The material was never given to Jeremy's defence and records show that a Special Branch officer ordered the destruction of all exhibits, except for the sound moderator (gun silencer).  Material was incinerated at a unit off the North Circular Road and an innocent man is spending his thirtieth year in prison whilst evidence which could help free him, lies in ashes.  Why destroy what could be relevant evidence and helpful to the defence?  Strangely, they saved the moderator 'evidence'.  Interestingly and unsurprisingly, after many years it has now been discovered that at least three moderators were removed from White House Farm after the murders.  Forensics were combined by police, relatives, as well as scientists at Huntingdon Laboratory, either deliberately or accidently and were produced at Jeremy's trial as if relating to only one moderator and this was what the jury were led to believe.  Incidentally Jeremy has always maintained that when he left the rifle on the settle at White House Farm, after his time out shooting rabbits, there was no moderator on it.  There is also new ballistics evidence which further supports Jeremy’s non-guilty plea (verified by ballistics experts in the US and UK) though the Criminal Cases Review Commission, (CCRC) refuses Jeremy’s application to appeal. (See link below).

In the past five years I have written with documented evidence to: David Cameron, Theresa May, Kenneth Clarke, Nick Clegg, City Of London Police, Independent Police Complaints Commission, Criminal Cases Review Commission, John Whittingdale (my MP), Pritti Patel MP, Keir Starmer, Keith Vaz and many others including church leaders, bishops and archbishops; each has excuses as to why they cannot intervene.

I became interested in Jeremy’s case after I watched the TV series, ‘Crimes That Shook Britain’.  However, I am not gullible or naïve so I read everything before becoming involved; after all I was one of those who initially believed Jeremy was guilty, I trusted the police in 1985 and, to a large extent, the media.

The media, police and Jeremy’s relatives promoted the idea that Sheila was a petite, frail person who could not have possibly handled a gun or killed her own children.  Sheila was in fact over five foot eight inches in height, went on hunting and shooting trips and was familiar with guns.  Also kept from the jury at Jeremy’s trial was that Sheila was known to Social Service Departments due to her incapacity as a parent and her aggression towards her children.  This was discussed within the immediate family and with close friends as Nevill and June Bamber were once again considering foster carers for the twins; they had been fostered previously due to Sheila’s mental health issues.  This was denied by Jeremy’s relatives; Essex Police claimed the twins had never been put up for adoption but did not, apparently, follow up the fact the boys had been fostered. 

On the night of the murders Sheila had recently been discharged from a mental health hospital after a psychotic episode.  Statements as to her mental instability and aggression were provided by her psychiatrist, boyfriend, ex-partner and girlfriends but they were withheld at Jeremy's trial.

I have written to and met with my local MP John Whittingdale (also Jeremy Bamber’s) to ask for his help, in particular, with my Freedom of Information Application but he refuses, stating that he cannot intervene in the criminal justice system or prison regime; yet he did intervene previously by questioning Parliament as to whether it was right that Jeremy Bamber had access to the internet.  Whittingdale is adamant that Jeremy is guilty, he also informed me that he has had social contact with Jeremy’s relatives.

In 2012 Jeremy found, amongst the documents intended for PII, several copies of the same police log, written by a named police officer.  It is obvious by the changes and editing of the text that the logs had been re-written several times.  It is an offence to change or edit police statements and logs.  Jeremy originally asked that I make them public by contacting the media; however, Jeremy’s solicitor at the time advised against it and suggested I send copies of them to John Whittingdale only, which I did; he replied, acknowledging my concerns but repeating there was nothing he could do. 

Some acquaintances accuse me of being obsessed; want to know why I feel so involved, why I spend so much time letter writing, to all and sundry; bending the ear of anyone who will listen.  I am convinced that Jeremy Bamber is an innocent man and if one of my sons were in this predicament I would hope he would have the same support.  I have not come across one local resident who believes Jeremy is guilty.  Never ceases to amaze me – all those years ago; the police and Jeremy’s relative’s deceit and trial-by-media, took in so many - but never the locals.

This is not a prisoner seeking release on a technicality.  Jeremy Bamber is innocent.  It is not as though we do not have the evidence to support these claims; it is that those in positions of authority refuse to test it.  One can only ponder as to why; what hope is there for sufferers of injustice, when the very system created to uphold justice, is itself, unjust?

Petition requesting Michael Gove, Secretary of State for Justice
order Essex Police to release all documents held under PII to Jeremy Bamber's Legal Team.

White House Farm Murders: Independent appraisal by 'Generation Why'

Justice Committee and CCRC