Sunday 22 October 2017

15 Years since the last appeal: first of three blogs marking the anniversary



Hearing: 17th October - 1st November 2002
Judgement: 12th December 2002

15 years since the last appeal I can’t believe how quickly time passes, but there were so many things that happened back then.

I recall receiving a fax at Whitemoor from the Parole Board dated 26th October 2002 arranging for Brenda Large a Parole Board member to visit me for an interview at 2pm on 4th October 2002.   The fax went on to explain in detail about the purpose of this interview with Brenda Large and of course I had always known that this parole hearing would take place.

The 1994 letter from HQ dated 15th December 1994 Ref ADP/B 32307 supposedly explaining my tariff of 25 years, although the Secretary of State stated:
“This seems to me to be a ‘whole life’ case.”

Because I was sentenced prior to this tariff process the Secretary of State went on to say:
“In your case the Parole Board review scheduled for September 2002 will go ahead.”

This was because in 1986 the law stated that no life sentence prisoner should serve more than 17 years in prison without a parole hearing.  I had been given that in writing and told I would have my first parole hearing at the 17 year point, then at 22 years, 25 years and every 3 years after that. But due to my appeal hearing my parole hearing was delayed until January 2003, should it be necessary if my appeal hearing was unsuccessful.

As we know I didn’t win that 2002 appeal hearing due entirely to active non-disclosure of evidence by Essex Police/Metropolitan Police.   More on that in a moment.

The Parole Board chose not to hold a parole hearing and since 2002 I believe that the Parole Board have held the hearings at the appropriate times but kept the findings confidential.

The reason I believe this to be true is that at each 3 year point when I would have had a parole hearing I have a telephone conference or video conference with my local Essex Probation Officer who asks all the questions about what I would do upon release etc, etc.  Of course my Probation Officer is under the same “secret” order about my not being a “whole life order” prisoner because it suits them for everyone including me to think I am.   But no other “whole life order” prisoners have had parole hearings scheduled after 17 years or have local probation officers who interview them every 3 years. It’s a wind up for me that I can’t make proper representations for parole or challenge any decisions made.

Typical of my case – it’s always secrets.

But in 2002 Essex Police and the Metropolitan Police were really close to being obligated to come clean and admit that in 1985 Essex Police withheld information from the Director of Public Prosecutions and my defence in order for me to be prosecuted.

In 2002 there were many occasions when evidence came to be known about and appreciated for what it was and its significance for my conviction ignored by the Metropolitan Police who simply chose to suddenly stop investigating that line of enquiry.

I have all of the Action Reports from 2002 and of the 4 million case documents I have had 340,000 pages of case documents from 1985 to date, they have now been catalogued and cross referenced and had we known what we now know I would never have been charged with murder, never prosecuted for murder, I would have won my first appeal in 1998, in 1991 my City of London Police Enquiry outcome would have been successful, the C3 Enquiry Home Office referral to the Court of Appeal in 1993 would have happened, the first CCRC application would have been successful in 1997/98, I would have won my 2002 appeal hearing, I would have won my 2004 European Court of Appeal hearing.   The CCRC would have sent my case back to the Court of Appeal on multiple issues between 2004 and 2012.

In truth had any of this material been properly disclosed at any time over the last 32 years I would never have remained in prison afterwards and certainly not since the 2002 appeal.   So much has come to light since 2002 and soon all that we know will come out and rightly so my conviction should be over turned.


Jeremy

Jeremy Bamber

Jeremy Bamber
Innocent Jeremy Bamber