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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Straw in talks over bail murders | Straw in talks over bail murders |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Justice Secretary Jack Straw is to meet MPs to discuss a series of killings that have been committed by men who had been released on bail. | Justice Secretary Jack Straw is to meet MPs to discuss a series of killings that have been committed by men who had been released on bail. |
| This follows a complaint by Helen Jones, Labour MP for Warrington North, about the release of Adam Swellings. | This follows a complaint by Helen Jones, Labour MP for Warrington North, about the release of Adam Swellings. |
| The nineteen-year-old murdered Garry Newlove hours after his release. | The nineteen-year-old murdered Garry Newlove hours after his release. |
| Mr Straw will also meet the MP for Hemel Hempstead, where former policeman Garry Weddell is thought to have shot his mother-in-law while on bail. | Mr Straw will also meet the MP for Hemel Hempstead, where former policeman Garry Weddell is thought to have shot his mother-in-law while on bail. |
| Mr Newlove, 47, died two days after being "kicked like a football" when he confronted a gang in Warrington in August 2007. | Mr Newlove, 47, died two days after being "kicked like a football" when he confronted a gang in Warrington in August 2007. |
| One of the conditions of Swellings' bail release had been that he did not go to Warrington. | One of the conditions of Swellings' bail release had been that he did not go to Warrington. |
| Swellings, 19, of Meredith Street, Crewe, Stephen Sorton, 17 of Honister Avenue, Warrington, and Jordan Cunliffe, 16, were convicted of the sales manager's murder. | Swellings, 19, of Meredith Street, Crewe, Stephen Sorton, 17 of Honister Avenue, Warrington, and Jordan Cunliffe, 16, were convicted of the sales manager's murder. |
| I can understand one error of judgment, but it appears the system failed twice over and an innocent woman is now dead Mike Penning, Hemel Hempstead MP | |
| After the verdict, Helen Newlove, 44, said she was disgusted that Swellings was allowed to go free and later kill her husband. | After the verdict, Helen Newlove, 44, said she was disgusted that Swellings was allowed to go free and later kill her husband. |
| She said: "We knew he had previous convictions but it was a shock to myself and to my family to hear he had been released that day. | She said: "We knew he had previous convictions but it was a shock to myself and to my family to hear he had been released that day. |
| "I'm absolutely disgusted. These magistrates - it's unbelievable. They let him out and they walk the streets. He's not taken a blind bit of notice of the conditions of bail. | "I'm absolutely disgusted. These magistrates - it's unbelievable. They let him out and they walk the streets. He's not taken a blind bit of notice of the conditions of bail. |
| "He's gone out, got drunk and taken drugs and my husband has been left dead." | "He's gone out, got drunk and taken drugs and my husband has been left dead." |
| Mr Weddell's body was found near Broomhill's Shooting Club, in Markyate, Herts, on the same day that the body of his mother-in-law, Traute Maxfield, 70, was found in Gustard Wood, Herts. | Mr Weddell's body was found near Broomhill's Shooting Club, in Markyate, Herts, on the same day that the body of his mother-in-law, Traute Maxfield, 70, was found in Gustard Wood, Herts. |
| 'Error of judgment' | |
| Mr Weddell, a Met Police inspector, had been due to go on trial in May for the murder of his wife, whose body was found in their home in Dunstable last year. | Mr Weddell, a Met Police inspector, had been due to go on trial in May for the murder of his wife, whose body was found in their home in Dunstable last year. |
| The body of Mrs Maxfield was found at a house in The Slype, Gustard Wood, 11 miles from the field where Mr Weddell was discovered. It is thought that he took his own life. | The body of Mrs Maxfield was found at a house in The Slype, Gustard Wood, 11 miles from the field where Mr Weddell was discovered. It is thought that he took his own life. |
| Garry Weddell was free on bail while awaiting trial for murder | |
| Hemel Hempstead MP Mike Penning said the public "deserve answers" over Mr Weddell's release. | |
| He said: "How did we get to a position where a man, who spent three months in custody on remand for murder, was released on conditional bail by a judge, broke the bail conditions, was re-arrested and released on bail for a second time at which point he appears to have killed again? | |
| "I can understand one error of judgment, but it appears the system failed twice over and an innocent woman is now dead. | |
| "The second time he was bailed appears to have been a very misguided decision. Frankly, we have to ask the question, 'was it because he was a policeman?' because the public deserve answers." | |
| A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice said: "Jack Straw has offered to meet Helen Jones and Garry Weddell's MP to discuss issues of bail. | A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Justice said: "Jack Straw has offered to meet Helen Jones and Garry Weddell's MP to discuss issues of bail. |
| "We are looking to set those meetings up at the moment." | "We are looking to set those meetings up at the moment." |