Former detective superintendent Steve Fulcher has now told his side of the story With compelling circumstantial evidence, Fulcher authorised covert surveillance. When DS Steve Fulcher arrested Christopher Halliwell over the disappearance of 22-year-old Sian O'Callaghan, it was the start of his own downfall. On 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. 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DS Steve Fulcher resigned from the police force in May 2014, He was played by Martin Freeman in the ITV series, DS Fulcher was found guilty of gross misconduct. February 18, 2015 - Halliwell is arrested on suspicion of murdering Miss Godden. Indeed, Fulchers commitment to the victims of crime shines through during our interview. AN early suspect in Sians murder was one of Steves bosses Deputy Chief Constable of Wiltshire Dave Ainsworth. Joe Absolom, which has been gripping audiences for the past six weeks. All rights reserved. Martin Freeman plays DS Stephen Fulcher in new ITV drama A Confession. 'Just in the minutes before Sian vanished, one of the police cars had filmed a Toyota Avensis driving the other way, and it had the number plate.'. Fulcher decided not to take Halliwell to. Halliwell is thought to have killed Becky in 2003, while Sian was killed in 2011. After a nail-biting drive, Halliwell guided the police to an isolated lane running alongside the White Horse near Uffington, close to the Berkshire border, where he said Sians body was lying in the open. 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. Halliwell, 55, had already admitted murdering Sian in Swindon in 2011, but DS Fulcher's intervention saw him confess to killing Becky Godden 20 years earlier as well. But for my course of action Becky would still be in that field, Sian would never be found and Christopher Halliwell would be walking the streets.. 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. With time running out, DS Fulcher then took Halliwell to Barbury Castle, a beauty spot outside Swindon, where he suspected Sian was being held. There had been years of endless worry as they investigated me. It didnt end there. Clarkson's Farm Season 3 'confirmed' by Jeremy Clarkson as he issues three-word statement, There were reports that Jeremy Clarkson's farming programme had been axed after the presenter's comments about Meghan Markle, Dragon's Den viewers slam 'snobby' couple as they sneer at 'Lidl shoppers' question, "I wouldn't use Lidl as a benchmark for our service. Instead, seeing a window of opportunity, hed driven him to the field where Halliwell claimed another body would be found. The force arranged for an independent misconduct panel to convene. A wealth of experience which was brought to bear when, on March 19th 2011, office administrator Sian OCallaghan was reported missing by her boyfriend after being last seen outside a nightclub in Swindon town centre in the small hours. May 31, 2012 - Halliwell appears at Preston Crown Court and denies murdering Miss O'Callaghan. It also meant Halliwell was able to evade justice for Becky's murder when he was found guilty of Sian's killing in 2012. Monster is currently serving life for killing Sian OCallaghan, 22, and Becky Godden, 20. They are someones daughter, sister.. "He killed Becky in 2003, he killed Sian in 2011, so that's eight years. 'I am really open-minded there is an eight-year gap between Becky and Sian,' Memory said. Thankfully, circumstantial and forensic evidence ensured Halliwell, 52, was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2012 for killing Miss OCallaghan. Haliwell was jailed for life in 2012 for Sians murder but it was ruled that the confession he gave Steve about where Becky was buried could not be used in court because police arrest guidelines were broken. However in a new one-off ITV documentary, To Catch a Serial Killer, DS Fulcher insists he did the right thing, saying: 'My view is that I have brought two daughters back to their mothers and I've prevented other victims resulting from Halliwell's continued pursuit of his career as a serial killer. By effectively acting to ensure Halliwells life was preserved, I was potentially going to cause the death of his victim, he recalls. Steve Fulcher confronted by killer Christopher Halliwell in A Confession finale teaser. He quit in 2014 after a disciplinary hearing, but the Hobbit star has defended Fulcher's actions, telling the Series Linked TV podcast:'There aren't enough police on the ground. 'I would appeal to Christopher Halliwell if he wants to speak I'm willing to speak with him. Episode six of the six-part series will air tonight Monday . We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. 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. Thats the question a new true-crime dramatisation asks, as it tells the story of a detective in a 2011 murder case who was found guilty of gross misconduct, but resulted in the conviction of a murderer guilty of two brutal killings. The worst part, Fulcher says, is none of its surprising. Place him under arrest and take him back into custody? The taxi belonged to Halliwell, who told his company he had gone home at 1.30am - much earlier than Sian had disappeared. Steve Fulcher placed Halliwell under surveillance and he was seen cleaning his car, disposing of materials in litter bins, and burning objects at night. In essence, Fulcher was using his experience to make a judgment call a call that took him on another car journey with Halliwell to rural Gloucestershire. The fiend then revealed where cops could find the body of Becky Godden who police did not even know was missing at the time. He was scrolling through pictures on his phone of other women, leading me to suspect there were other victims. 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 panel considered independently whether or not the actions of Steve Fulcher had breached the standards of professional behaviour that apply to all police officers in England and Wales. Oscar-nominated scriptwriter Jeff Pope based the drama on Det Supt Fulchers memoirs and independent research. 11:00 GMT 03 Sep 2019. After his arrest, Halliwell revealed the location of Sian's body. But on that same afternoon, Halliwell was observed buying a large quantity of pills. Fulcher had not cautioned Halliwell as he should have under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE). The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. The lives of Sian OCallaghan, 22, and Becky Godden, 20, had been callously cut short by taxi driver Halliwell, who guided Fulcher to their bodies. June 9, 2015 - Halliwell appears at Bristol Crown Court and denies Miss Godden's murder. Four days later, Fulcher said significant lines of inquiry were being developed and he revealed that they were looking for information and witnesses of a green Toyota Avensis with taxi markings that had been seen in the area after her disappearance. I met Sians parents and promised them I wouldnt rest until I found her, he recalls. The disappearances of Tina Pryer, 39, Thi Hai Nguyen, 20, and Sandra Brewin, 21, have also been linked to the killer. 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. He's not forensically linked to outstanding cases. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. With equity release you could access a lump-sum of tax-free cash which can be used to enhance your retirement income, make home improvements, or even enjoy a memorable holiday. A decorated police detective whose career was left in tatters after he decided to pursue a confession from a suspected killer without following strict policing guidelines, has said he has no regrets. Catching a Serial Killer: My hunt for murderer Christopher Halliwell, spoken many times in the press about his experience of the case, he was working for a private company in Mogadishu, Somalia, the police found "up to 60" items of women's clothing. On 24 March, OCallaghans body was found in a shallow grave near Uffington, Oxfordshire, and Christopher Halliwell, a 47-year-old taxi driver from Swindon was arrested, charged and later sentenced to a life sentence for the murder. Steve said: One witness came forward to say they were sure they had seen Halliwell and Claudia together. Joe Absolom plays the Swindon taxi driver Christopher Halliwell who had taken the lives of two you women. Fulcher recalled: 'Working on the hypothesis that she could have been kidnapped and was still alive, I conducted this investigation as a crime in action - that means everything else is subordinate to the notion of finding Sian, and seeking to save her life.'. I felt my position was untenable.. He argued that the original judge (Mrs Justice Cox) had been correct in her ruling, but that since Halliwell had "unequivocally" pleaded guilty to Sian's murder, the concerns over PACE were "no longer relevant.". The CPS and senior police figures panicked, Fulcher says. If she had traveled 12 miles in just half an hour, that meant the journey from Swindon Old Town could only have been made in a vehicle. In the meantime he was suspended, left pacing the floor at home with worry. Instead of bringing Halliwell back to Gablecross police station in Swindon where he would have had access to a solicitor, Fulcher ordered his officers to take Halliwell to a nearby Iron Age hill fort called Barbury Castle. There was no sign of a baby when they came by". Human remains were uncovered at a field in Gloucestershire, and they turned out to belong to Becky. When detective Steve Fulcher broke arrest guidelines to persuade a serial killer to admit murdering two women, his gamble was hailed as brilliant policing. 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Why would this not be the biggest, most protracted, most vigorous investigation in the history of British policing?. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Sian's mother Elaine Pickford says what he did was understandable to her family. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 25 years. For two days undercover police in 12 vehicles kept him under constant surveillance in the hope he would lead them to Sian. It was a moment which, perhaps better than any other, summed up the monstrous injustice meted out to DS Fulcher and exposed the deeply warped priorities of our legal system. For other inquiries, Contact Us. But the story is no work of fiction. He tells Tim Lewis why he'd do it again Tim. Two months later, dismayed at Wiltshires Forces disinterest in both reinforcing the charges related to Becky Goddens murder and other potential victims, Fulcher asked to be reassigned to the National Homicide Team. A young woman called Becky Godden-Edwards had gone missing a number of years before, last seen in 2002 or 2003. In his book, Steve says: At the bottom of a pond that was 8ft deep they found Sian OCallaghans distinctive boot. During the investigation, Detective Steve Fulcher broke police protocol and extracted not one, but two confessions from the killer. To Catch A Serial Killer airs on Thursday at 9pm on ITV, The comments below have not been moderated, By Fulchers once distinguished career, meanwhile, lies in ruins. It is possible that there were other victims before or after Becky but he has never been charged or convicted of any other murders. The investigation into her murder was headed up by DS Fulcher who charged cab driver Chris Halliwell with the abduction of the office worker. The charge of murdering Miss Godden is formally withdrawn. From the point of his suspension in September 2012 to around April 2013 Mr Fulcher was obliged to inform the force if he planned to leave home for more than 24 hours, extended to two nights after a request to take his daughter to look around universities. And a high-heeled boot Sian was wearing before she was abducted on her way home from a nightclub in 2011. March 26, 2011 - Halliwell is charged with Miss O'Callaghan's murder. He has written a memoir 'Catching A Serial Killer' upon which "A Confession' is partly based. We might never find out who 'another one' is. ', A killer locked up and the end of a police career. Some claimed the manner in which Steve gained Halliwells confessions was "arrogant and reckless". There wasnt an alternative that wouldnt involve ruining my chances of Halliwell opening up.. If Im right, well I take comfort from the fact that he hasnt been able to do that since 2011. Another potential victim is prostitute Sally Ann John, 24, who vanished from Swindon in 1995. Fulcher has lost his career, he works as a security consultant in Africa. Further to the hearing, Steve Fulcher was found guilty of two counts of gross misconduct (the execution of his duty and inappropriate contact with the media) and received two final written warnings, but remained a member of Wiltshire Police. He was an experienced police officer who knew what he was doing. The decision almost derailed the case against the killer in court, and ultimately cost the detective his job. Det Supt Sean Memory, the senior investigating officer in the Godden case, said after he was convicted in 2016 that Halliwell may have killed others. It is a colossal effort. They are puppets blowing with the prevailing political wind. At this point, with the focus shifting from kidnap to murder, Fulcher should, according to guidelines drawn up in The Police and Criminal Evidence Act of 1984 (PACE), have cautioned Halliwell again. The nadir came in January 2014, when he was found guilty of gross misconduct after a hearing at which, notably, Karen Godden, Beckys mother insisted on accompanying him to show her support. Realising something was seriously wrong when Sian failed to come home or answer his texts, Kevin raised the alarm. He [was] kind of crawling up the walls. Martin Freeman has defended the police detective he plays in a new drama whose career was ruined after using 'questionable' methods to catch a killer. Halliwell had confessed to her murder of Sian, and revealed he had also killed prostitute Becky Godden in 2003 and left her body at another location. He had killed her two minutes after she got in his cab. 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. However, DS Fulcher, played by Martin Freeman in the ITV drama series, was found guilty of gross misconduct and given a final disciplinary warning. Later investigators discovered soil on a spade which placed Halliwell in the field where Becky was found, leading to his conviction by jury in 2016. A Confession airs on Monday nights on ITV and is available on ITV Hub. Sian's mother Elaine Pickford says what he did was understandable to. 10:35 GMT 03 Sep 2019 ', Afterwards Fulcher said of Halliwell: 'We had a surreal exchange, he knew that he had given his life away. Four months later, he resigned from the Wiltshire Police force. 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. Halliwell described another victim, a prostitute he said he had killed much earlier, says Steve, and he could take him to the spot where he had buried her as well. Fulcher is more than qualified to reflect on how British policing has changed. Fulcher made the decision. DC Fulcher quit after being accused of gross misconduct over murder case. Buried around the pond were more items of womens clothing. A police telephone trace threw up a clue - he had texted her half an hour after she left the nightclub saying, 'Worried'. In May 2014, Fulcher resigned from Wiltshire Police. Halliwell had been busy. Effectively unemployable by British police, he now works as a consultant on policing in Somalia, taking him away from home for long periods. How far should the police go in securing a confession and bringing a killer to justice? Steve Fulcher (played by Martin Freeman) violated PACE Code C by interviewing Christopher Halliwell (Joe Absolom) without the presence of a solicitor. 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