This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. March 18, 2011 - Sian O'Callaghan, 22, is murdered by Halliwell after getting into his taxi while walking home after leaving Suju nightclub in Swindon. There wasnt an alternative that wouldnt involve ruining my chances of Halliwell opening up.. Steve Fulcher, the detective who put him behind bars, . Martin Freeman plays Det Supt Steve Fulcher, the officer who took the monumental gamble which secured the admission but which also led to his own downfall. Human remains were uncovered at a field in Gloucestershire, and they turned out to belong to Becky. Judge Mrs Justice Cox ruled both of Halliwell's confessions were inadmissable as evidence because Fulcher had breached Police and Criminal Evidence Act guidelines. That changed when officers reported Halliwell had visited a chemist and bought what Fulcher calls an overdose quantity of pills. To Catch A Serial Killer airs on Thursday at 9pm on ITV, The comments below have not been moderated, By Natalie Corner For Mailonline, Trophy hunter mother, 41, who has travelled the world to kill more than ONE HUNDRED animals claims her hobby HELPS preserve wild species, Bodyguard creator Jed Mercurio teases that Julia Montague is ALIVE - as he reveals how he manages to keep the show's plot a secret, TIMELINE OF A DOUBLE KILLING: HOW CHRISTOPHER HALLIWELL MURDERED TWO WOMEN THEN THWARTED JUSTICE FOR VICTIM'S FAMILY. It's a very dodgy road to go down, I think, for us as a society.'. "Generally, we echo Fulcher's belief that there are other victims," Pope said, explaining the drama's approach to the question. Fulcher, now 49, was then suspended from the Force before being disciplined for gross misconduct and ultimately hounded out of his job. According to the PACE rules, he should have cautioned the killer and given him access to a solicitor after discovering that Sian was dead. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. However, four years later judge Sir John Griffith Williams decided that Fulcher's evidence could and should be heard in court as part of the case. It seemed astonishing to me they were not pursing lines of enquiry. The taxi belonged to Halliwell, who told his company he had gone home at 1.30am - much earlier than Sian had disappeared. BBC reporter Steve Brodie said of the detective's actions: 'At that stage there's absolutely no doubt under PACE [the Police and Criminal Evidence Act], Christopher Halliwell should have been charged on suspicion of murder, taken back to a police station and given access to a solicitor.'. If we mention one of those names a family might think, 'oh, I wonder if' So we very carefully say, 'We believe there are other victims,' and leave it at that. Fulcher, meanwhile, was being heartily congratulated by senior officers. The senior investigating officer on the case was Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher (played in A Confession by Martin Freeman) and the events of 24th March would be the defining moment of his career. He was scrolling through pictures on his phone of other women, leading me to suspect there were other victims. Freeman plays Det Supt Steve Fulcher in ITV's six-part drama By Emma Saunders Entertainment reporter It was a tragic real-life story that gripped the public due to flawed heroics, a long search. You can criticise me, but I felt I had no option - there was simply no other way I could have acted that was within the letter of the law. With his name so closely associated with the story he has found it hard to branch out, though in 2017 he was working for a private company in Mogadishu, Somalia. The investigation into her murder was headed up by DS Fulcher who charged cab driver Chris Halliwell with the abduction of the office worker. Why on earth had this killer been given every conceivable privilege, while a brave, upstanding detective was hung out to dry? As a result of being found guilty of gross misconduct in January 2014, Steve Fulcher was given a final written warning, which could have led to his dismissal if he'd fallen foul of any more. Naturally, trying to ensure this places huge pressure on senior officers. View our online Press Pack. Joe Absolom, which has been gripping audiences for the past six weeks. If Sian was still alive, she probably wouldnt survive the 96 hours we could keep him in custody if he refused to co-operate.. DS Steve Fulcher, played by Martin Freeman in A Confession, resigned from the police after being found guilty of gross misconduct in the Christopher Halliwell case Halliwells father lived a few streets from the home of chef Claudia Lawrence, who has been missing since March 19, 2009. He wanted to use what he believed were emergency powers, to be used only when there is an imminent threat to life. But only this week, five-and-a-half years after he led Fulcher to her remains, was he convicted of the murder of Becky Godden, at last bringing closure to her anguished family. 'I am really open-minded there is an eight-year gap between Becky and Sian,' Memory said. Steve, who went on to get a job as a consultant for a private company in Somalia which offers aid from the Foreign Office, admitted he was shunned when trying to find work in the UK.. Wiltshire Police told the BBC : "The IPCC investigation concluded that a misconduct hearing should take place to consider potential gross misconduct. With compelling circumstantial evidence, Fulcher authorised covert surveillance. Fulcher, also a father with two daughters, says: If I didnt take this step, I feared Sian would die alone and abandoned.. I pleaded with him for Sians life, he recalls. All rights reserved. The judge ruled: "I am satisfied that the evidence of the conviction of the defendant of the murder of Sian O'Callaghan is admissible to prove the defendant's propensity to commit murder. It is a scandal.. When you suspect someone has been abducted or kidnapped their life remains under threat, and there are very clear procedural rules about that.. 'He showed me a list of girls' names that he kept in his phone of those that trusted him as a taxi driver. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. They are puppets blowing with the prevailing political wind. I felt my position was untenable.. August 30, 2016 - Retired High Court judge Sir John Griffith Williams rules that the jury can be told of Halliwell's conviction for Miss O'Callaghan's murder and his confession to Miss Godden's murder. Wiltshire Police have since issued a statement saying, There is no evidence whatsoever to link him to any other murder in this country. They also seized his green Toyota Avensis. Murphy explained in the documentary: 'A police officer had the idea of looking at all the police dashboard cameras that were patrolling central Swindon at the time. Steve explains what happened next: 'He said, "You and I should have a chat". If I had followed procedure, then Sian and Beckys bodies may never have been found yet it seems thats what senior authorities wouldve preferred. How Christopher Halliwell was brought to justice. Speaking on To Catch A Serial Killer - With Trevor McDonald, Elaine said: Steve did what I think any family member would want an officer to do for them.. For Fulcher had gone from being Wiltshire Polices man of the hour flavour of the month as he puts it to having his reputation destroyed. Buried around the pond were more items of womens clothing. The offending behaviour for Becky was cold and calculated. Four months later, he resigned from the Wiltshire Police force. He also told The Guardian in 2017 that he believed Halliwell was responsible for more murders, as more than 60 items of womens clothing were found buried in woodland near Marlborough, including OCallaghans brown boots and Godden-Edwardss cardigan. Anticipating Halliwells suicide risk, Fulcher arranged an interview team to conduct a Safety Interview, under caution, at the scene of his arrest. If the evidence in the trophy store suggests a truth that still lies hidden, then Halliwell had a prolific propensity to murder perhaps as often as once or twice a year so lives were saved after his arrest.. A new team found witnesses and analysis showed a spade seized from Halliwells shed in 2011 had the same unique soil DNA as the field in which Becky was found. It is based on a true-life inquiry which led to a police officer losing his career. Steve Fulcher (played by Martin Freeman) violated PACE Code C by interviewing Christopher Halliwell (Joe Absolom) without the presence of a solicitor. But. Sian O'Callaghan's boyfriend had reported her missing after she failed to return from a night out with friends in Swindon, Wiltshire, in March 2011. He said: If I had taken Halliwell into custody we would never have found Sian and obviously we would never have heard of his other victim Becky Godden. No trace of her has ever been found. Fulcher himself spent hours questioning Halliwell at Barbury Castle, breaking down his defences and sharing his cigarettes and forming a connection. Drivers warned over incoming hike in petrol and diesel prices amid two key changes, "Its really important that we dont have any particular day where fuel goes up very dramatically", Limerick woman 'lucky to be alive' after being held captive, beaten and doused with acid in horror attack. However, that's not to say he hasn't committed other offences. Moreover, as forensic officers set to work, Fulcher was unprepared for what came next. AN early suspect in Sians murder was one of Steves bosses Deputy Chief Constable of Wiltshire Dave Ainsworth. Then he said Have you got a car, lets go. And despite Karen Edwards best efforts, there have been no changes to arrest guidelines. I couldnt believe it, he says. As he rose through the ranks, he enhanced his professional accomplishments with a postgraduate diploma and subsequent masters in Criminology. It has been devastating for everyone, he says quietly. I was desperately trying to keep the lines of communication open, wondering how much else he might tell me.. This, despite the fact he had caught Halliwell, a murderer and possible serial killer. He said: "My view is that I have brought two daughters back to their mothers and Ive prevented other victims resulting from Halliwells continued pursuit of his career as a serial killer. But forensic evidence that has been used to convict [Halliwell] was available back in 2011. Place him under arrest and take him back into custody? Fulcher was disciplined for misconduct and later resigned, losing his 500,000 police pension and selling his house. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. Her boyfriend, Kevin Reape, raised the alarm at 9.45am the following morning when Sian hadn't turned up at . Fulcher is more than qualified to reflect on how British policing has changed. You then tried to manipulate the police and court process to try to avoid getting what you deserved., They are words Fulcher has waited many years for. In September 2013, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) found that Fulcher had a case to answer for "gross misconduct" for breaches of PACE and for ignoring force orders. The programme explores whether Steve's actions were brilliant detective work, or arrogance and recklessness which ultimately cost him his job. Fulcher had not cautioned Halliwell as he should have under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE). 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