Axe Murder - Unsolved Week In Week Out


Axe Murder - Unsolved

Similar Content

Browse content similar to Axe Murder - Unsolved. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!

Transcript


LineFromTo

The murder of Daniel Morgan has never been solved. The Welsh

0:00:030:00:09

private investigator was killed with an axe in a pub car park.

0:00:090:00:15

very sorry, but he's dead. I said, "What do you mean he's dead." I

0:00:150:00:19

just lost the plot then. Despite five police investigations, costing

0:00:190:00:24

millions, no-one's ever been convicted. Tonight, allegations of

0:00:240:00:27

police corruption, links to the News Of The World scandal and

0:00:270:00:31

claims by those close to the murder hunt that they were targeted.

0:00:310:00:39

The idea that Your personal safety at home has been undermined in that

0:00:390:00:44

way is quite terrifying. For 24 years, Daniel's family have fought

0:00:440:00:49

for justice. We're still carrying his coffin

0:00:490:00:59
0:00:590:00:59

around, carrying him on our shoulders.

0:00:590:01:03

I shouldn't be here today. It should have never happened in the

0:01:030:01:10

first place. The prosecution should have never even been started.

0:01:100:01:16

Jonathan Rees and two other men walk free from court in March this

0:01:160:01:20

year. They were charged with murdering Daniel Morgan. They were

0:01:200:01:25

each found not guilty. A cloud of suspicion had hung over

0:01:250:01:31

Jonathan Rees and the two other men since 1987. All deny involvement in

0:01:310:01:40

Daniel's murder. 24 years have passed since Daniel Morgan was

0:01:400:01:45

killed in this pub car park. Since then events have unfolded like the

0:01:450:01:50

pages of a thriller. Behind the twists and turns, there lies the

0:01:500:01:54

heart ache of a family, still grieving the loss of a father, a

0:01:540:02:04
0:02:040:02:07

Daniel's mother Isobel is now 83. But she won't give up her fight for

0:02:070:02:14

justice. I've got to do it. It's just because we've come almost, you

0:02:140:02:21

know, we've been 25 years nearly on this. It's been so haphazard, so

0:02:210:02:27

awful and so traumatic. Isobel's leaving her home in Hay-on-Wye for

0:02:270:02:30

a trip to London. She's hoping to get a meeting with the Home

0:02:300:02:37

Secretary, Theresa May. It's a trip she's made countless times. I don't

0:02:370:02:42

like going to London because the only time I've been, I mean it must

0:02:420:02:48

be a couple of hundred times, at least, it's on these missions, you

0:02:480:02:57

know. I would just love to one day, to go to London and go to a shop.

0:02:570:03:07

It doesn't happen. This trip to the Home Office could signify the last

0:03:070:03:12

chance of justice for Daniel. Home Secretary Theresa May has the four

0:03:120:03:16

grant a judicial inquiry into the murder. Isobel feels it's the only

0:03:160:03:24

way the truth will come out now. Today might just be a turning point.

0:03:240:03:30

I mean, nothing will bring Daniel back, but there's so much that can

0:03:300:03:37

be revealed. The trip is just the latest leg in Isobel's remarkable

0:03:370:03:44

journey, but will she be able to persuade the Home Secretary? Daniel

0:03:440:03:54

Morgan was brought up in Llanfrechfa near Cwmbran in Gwent.

0:03:540:04:00

You're the eldest? Yeah. Jane is the youngest. Daniel's brother

0:04:000:04:03

Alastair and his sister Jane have returned to the family home in

0:04:030:04:10

South Wales for the first time in years. What sort of little boy was

0:04:100:04:16

he? Oh, always looking for a buck wasn't he. He used to deliver the

0:04:160:04:21

leaflets for the shop. He would see a battery or car pattery in

0:04:210:04:24

somebody's guardened and knock on the door and ask if he could have

0:04:240:04:31

We haven't been crying, which is strange. I feel that's strange.

0:04:310:04:34

We're laughing about the happy times, not thinking about...

0:04:340:04:38

the funny things that happen. the boys setting fire to the hedge

0:04:380:04:46

and my father's fury, you know. Daniel spent his childhood

0:04:460:04:51

exploring the local countryside. He married a Scottish girl Iris. They

0:04:510:04:54

had two children, Sarah and Daniel. He found work as a private

0:04:540:04:59

detective. When it started, he thought it could be an interesting

0:04:590:05:06

job. It was something different. Not a run of the mill, boring job.

0:05:070:05:14

So he engaged with that. Daniel set up his own detective agency.

0:05:140:05:18

Business was good and he went into partnership with Jonathan Rees.

0:05:180:05:22

Their company Southern Investigations was based at these

0:05:220:05:25

offices in south London. The pair worked together for six

0:05:250:05:35
0:05:350:05:37

years. But on the 10th March 1987, everything changed. Daniel left a

0:05:370:05:42

meeting with Jonathan Rees at this pub in south London. It was the

0:05:420:05:46

last time the Welshman was seen alive. His body was discovered in

0:05:460:05:55

the car park. There was an axe embedded in his head. It was about

0:05:550:06:05

4am and I was, my telephone rang. He said, "I'm an officer in the

0:06:050:06:09

Metropolitan Police." What are you ringing me up for?" I'm very sorry,

0:06:090:06:13

but he's dead." I thought, what do you mean he's dead? I just lost the

0:06:140:06:19

plot then. I said, well, what's happened to him. Please tell me

0:06:190:06:25

what has happened? Has he been run over? "I'm afraid I'm not in a

0:06:250:06:32

position to tell you," he said. I can't tell you what it was like. I

0:06:320:06:40

was absolutely devastated. I think I was screaming, I don't know.

0:06:400:06:44

Speculation about the motive was rife. Daniel's Rolex watch had been

0:06:450:06:50

stolen. But more than �1,000 in cash was still in his jacket.

0:06:500:06:56

Police believe the nature of the attack, the axe left in Daniel's

0:06:560:07:06
0:07:060:07:11

face, was personal. My whole being seemed to freeze. It was an

0:07:110:07:18

unbelievable experience. I miss him terribly. He shouldn't have died

0:07:180:07:25

like that. That was wicked. Daniel's line of work as a private

0:07:250:07:29

investigator did bring him into conflict with people. Police

0:07:290:07:33

interviewed countless witnesses who might have harboured a grudge, but

0:07:330:07:40

who would want him dead and why remained a mystery.

0:07:400:07:44

Then detectives discovered that the relationship between Daniel and his

0:07:440:07:49

business partner, Jonathan Rees, had become strained. A year before

0:07:490:07:53

the murder, Rees agreed to provide security at a car auction business.

0:07:530:08:00

Whilst trying to bank the firm's takings, Rees was robbed of �18,000.

0:08:000:08:05

Things got worse. The car auction firm was now suing Jonathan Rees

0:08:050:08:12

and Daniel over the missing money. Peter Newby was the office manager

0:08:120:08:14

at Southern Investigations. He remembers the robbery causing

0:08:140:08:24
0:08:240:08:26

tension. I think he was causing Danny more concern than it was John.

0:08:260:08:36
0:08:360:08:39

Danny was more concerned with keeping an eye on the money side.

0:08:390:08:43

John's attitude was we're in business, this job could make a

0:08:430:08:49

killing. Let's go for it. Daniel also spoke to his brother Alastair

0:08:490:08:53

about concerns over his business relationship with Jonathan Rees.

0:08:530:09:03

Initially it seemed fine, you know? Then, Dan would say things like,

0:09:030:09:07

"He's lazy. He spends all his day in the pub. I'm driving all around

0:09:070:09:14

the country and he's just propping up the bar with his police friends.

0:09:140:09:19

"Rees spent a lot of time with the local police. Dan didn't have a lot

0:09:190:09:25

of time for the police. He thought they were, he didn't hold them in

0:09:250:09:31

high regard. The one thing they could not agree on and that was to

0:09:310:09:41
0:09:410:09:41

agree. Daniel was sadly wary of John. How do you know that? He told

0:09:410:09:51
0:09:510:09:52

me once. He said, "Peter, never make a decision in this office that

0:09:520:10:00

is going to affect this company, unless you talk to me first."

0:10:000:10:04

Jonathan Rees told us he and Daniel Morgan were different characters

0:10:040:10:08

and their respective strengths were complementary in the business. They

0:10:080:10:18
0:10:180:10:18

had arguments from time to time, but they were friends. The hunt for

0:10:180:10:23

Daniel's killer continued. Officers discovered the policeman who took

0:10:230:10:28

Jonathan Rees's statement the day after murder was one of his friends.

0:10:290:10:35

Detective sergeant Sid Fillery was Rees's drinking pal. Three weeks

0:10:350:10:40

after the murder, DS Fillery was arrested, together with Daniel's

0:10:400:10:45

business partner Jonathan Rees, two other police officers and Rees's

0:10:460:10:48

two brothers-in-law. They were all released without charge the same

0:10:480:10:54

day. With the police investigation

0:10:540:10:58

stalling, they turned to Crimewatch for help. The police describe the

0:10:580:11:03

case as a sticker, it's one they just can't solve. You're trying to

0:11:030:11:07

find... Detectives appealed for information about the murder weapon.

0:11:070:11:11

It's a Chinese axe. They're imported into this country in the

0:11:110:11:17

thousands. What is more significant is the way it's taped. It's got two

0:11:170:11:26

elastoplasts on the handle. To be gripped like that? That's right. To

0:11:260:11:29

assist the grip or stop the perspiration from somebody's hands

0:11:290:11:33

allowing it to slip. Crimewatch failed to provide a breakthrough.

0:11:330:11:37

The man leading the murder hunt was concerned at the behaviour of some

0:11:370:11:41

officers in south London. He asked the Met for an outside force to

0:11:410:11:48

take over the investigation. His request was declined.

0:11:480:11:52

Further allegations of tensions between Daniel and his business

0:11:520:11:57

partner, Jonathan Rees, were made during the inquest into Daniel's

0:11:570:12:01

death. Kevin Lennon worked as a book keeper for Southern

0:12:010:12:05

Investigations. He claimed that Rees wanted to kill Daniel. This is

0:12:050:12:10

what he told the Coroners' Court. Jonathan Rees said again to me that

0:12:100:12:15

he wanted Daniel Morgan killed. Jonathan Rees told me that Sid

0:12:150:12:21

Fillery would be joining the firm after Daniel's murder. Jonathan

0:12:210:12:25

Rees said, "I've the perfect solution for Daniel's murder. My

0:12:250:12:32

mates at Catford nick are going to arrange it." Lennon's evidence to

0:12:320:12:39

the inquest shocked Daniel's family. I wanted to shout out, "Oh, my God,

0:12:390:12:47

this is filthy. This is corrupt ." I thought our suspicions are

0:12:470:12:57
0:12:570:12:58

confirmed. Our worst fears are true. However the impact of Kevin

0:12:580:13:01

Lennon's evidence to the inquest saying that Rees wanted to kill

0:13:020:13:08

Daniel was undermined, as it was uncorroborated. His credibility was

0:13:080:13:11

also questioned, when Jonathan Rees not only denied wanting to kill

0:13:110:13:17

Daniel, but he told the inquest Lennon made it up to carry favour

0:13:170:13:24

with the police as he was facing fraud charges. It later emerged

0:13:250:13:29

detective sergeant Sid Fillery had indeed left the police force and

0:13:290:13:34

joined Southern Investigations with Jonathan Rees. First of all, we

0:13:340:13:39

were obviously shocked that when Fillery was arrested, but then

0:13:390:13:43

months went by, months and months and months, and I was in contact

0:13:430:13:49

with the police regularly, you know, every week or couple of days. At

0:13:490:13:56

regular intervals I was ringing them. You'd get, sort of, standard

0:13:570:14:01

responses "we are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry." The family

0:14:010:14:06

was demanding answers. 15 months after Daniel's murder the Met

0:14:060:14:10

finally asked an outside force to investigate. As a result of this

0:14:100:14:14

inquiry by Hampshire Police, Jonathan Rees was arrested a second

0:14:140:14:19

time on suspicion of murder. This time, he was charged. But three

0:14:190:14:23

months later, it was dropped again on the grounds of insufficient

0:14:230:14:33
0:14:330:14:33

evidence. In 1998, the Met launched a third investigation, 11 years

0:14:330:14:37

after Daniel's murder, detectives decided to bug the new offices of

0:14:370:14:47
0:14:470:14:56

Police felt Operation Nigeria using covert surveillance was the best

0:14:560:15:03

way to gather evidence. What I would like at the end of the day...

0:15:030:15:07

An intelligence report says "Fillery and Rees are alert and

0:15:070:15:11

have current knowledge of investigative methods and

0:15:110:15:15

techniques. In addition, such is their level of access within the

0:15:150:15:19

Police Service, that the threat of compromise to any conventional

0:15:190:15:26

investigation is constant." But in another dramatic twist, the bugging

0:15:260:15:31

operation was stopped. Officers overheard a plot to plant cocaine

0:15:310:15:37

on a woman. Rees was hired by a man to discredit his wife during a

0:15:370:15:40

child custody battle. Rees arranged for cocaine to be planted in her

0:15:400:15:50
0:15:500:15:54

car. Journalist Graeme Maclagan followed the case for years. It was

0:15:540:15:58

clear that Rees was going to plant drugs on her. There was a crime

0:15:580:16:03

being committed an the police were listening to the tape and realising

0:16:030:16:08

there was a crime and therefore, they had to act. Jonathan Rees was

0:16:090:16:12

jailed for seven years for the cocaine plot. A corrupt police

0:16:120:16:17

officer who helped him was jailed for four years. But the bugging

0:16:170:16:21

operation had failed to provide any evidence that Rees or his

0:16:210:16:25

associates were involved in Daniel's murder.

0:16:250:16:28

The covert surveillance did, however, reveal information about

0:16:280:16:33

the work of Southern Investigations. It showed Rees had a relationship

0:16:330:16:37

with a number of journalists. He was feeding stories to the tabloids

0:16:370:16:42

and in particular, the News Of The World.

0:16:420:16:48

This was for thousands of pounds. Rees was surrounded by corrupt

0:16:480:16:54

officers, corrupt ex-officers and officers prepared to pass him

0:16:540:17:00

information. This would be information that they'd gathered on

0:17:000:17:06

criminals and perhaps also on celebrities. Rees would get this

0:17:060:17:13

information, develop it to an extent and sell it to newspapers.

0:17:130:17:15

Particularly the tabloid newspapers and particularly the News Of The

0:17:150:17:24

World. Another former book keeper at southern investigations, in an

0:17:240:17:29

interview with BBC Radio, explains the extent of the business with the

0:17:290:17:37

The News Of The World was the biggest customer. We used to

0:17:370:17:41

invoice out maybe 600 invoices a month. They were hand delivered to

0:17:410:17:47

a man at the News Of The World. We've seen a copy of a witness

0:17:470:17:52

statement to police. It claims that Daniel Morgan was planning to sell

0:17:520:18:01

a story to a newspaper for �40,000. The paper was the News Of The World.

0:18:010:18:04

Two days before his murder, he had said that he was dealing with an

0:18:040:18:08

issue of police corruption. He didn't trust anybody in the police

0:18:080:18:15

to deal with it. So, I would think, well, who else can deal with it?

0:18:150:18:20

Then obviously the media is the next choice, isn't it? Do you have

0:18:200:18:26

any idea what that story might have been? The story involved police in

0:18:260:18:31

concert with the underworld and drugs, importation and dealing. In

0:18:310:18:38

particular cocaine. In a separate development, the News Of The World

0:18:380:18:41

would come to the attention of detectives investigating the murder

0:18:410:18:48

of Daniel Morgan again. In 2002, the police turned to Crimewatch

0:18:480:18:53

once more. We acknowledge there were difficulties in the early

0:18:530:18:57

stages of this investigation. But I'm here tonight to re-investigate

0:18:570:19:01

it with the advantage of 15 years' knowledge. A fourth murder inquiry

0:19:010:19:05

was under way, headed up by detective Chief Superintendent

0:19:050:19:09

Jimmy Cook. Co-incidentally, his wife was a

0:19:090:19:17

presenter on the programme. You can call us anonymously if you want.

0:19:170:19:22

The day after the programme was broadcast, detective Chief

0:19:220:19:27

Superintendent Cooke was told there was intelligence suggesting that

0:19:270:19:30

suspects in the Daniel Morgan murder case were trying to

0:19:300:19:37

discredit him. It was a development that affected his whole family.

0:19:370:19:40

were convinced and the Met were convince today was a serious threat,

0:19:400:19:45

sufficient enough for us to be put nrt witness protection programme.

0:19:450:19:50

We had officers allocated to us to give us assistance. Our security at

0:19:500:19:56

home was beefed up. My whole life was destabilised. It was like

0:19:560:20:02

somebody put a bomb underneath my sense of security. Our mail was

0:20:020:20:06

tampered with and on several occasions, vans were seen in the

0:20:060:20:12

area. David was followed. And I saw a van keeping surveillance on our

0:20:120:20:20

house. On one occasion, there was a brake light broken on something

0:20:200:20:24

similar, on one of the vans. He arranged to have it stopped by

0:20:240:20:33

local uniformed police officers in Surrey. They discovered that it was

0:20:330:20:38

being driven and occupied by two employees of News International,

0:20:380:20:48
0:20:480:20:49

the News Of The World. This was a huge shock. It dominates your life.

0:20:490:20:56

It, everything you do, everywhere you go is done with one eye over

0:20:560:21:01

your shoulder. Former News Of The World editor, Rebekah Brooks, was

0:21:010:21:07

asked about the surveillance of DCS Cook's family. She's understood to

0:21:070:21:10

have claimed the paper was investigating whether Jacqui Hames

0:21:100:21:14

was having an affair with Mr Cook. They were married and had even been

0:21:140:21:19

featured in a magazine. These are the pictures that appeared in

0:21:190:21:24

Hello! Magazine. They sent them through to us. It just wasn't a

0:21:240:21:29

secret. It wasn't as if we'd hidden something away. Clearly that was a

0:21:290:21:32

ridiculous explanation and appeared, to me any way, to be one that had

0:21:320:21:39

been thought up on the spur-of-the- momentment The MP, Tom Watson,

0:21:390:21:42

who's fought to highlight the hacking by the News Of The World,

0:21:420:21:48

says the surveillance of the man heading the Morgan murder hunt is

0:21:480:21:51

concerning. It's a remarkable series of relationships which

0:21:510:21:56

suggests there needs to be a deeper inquiry into what was going on at

0:21:560:22:02

that time. The Met took no further action, but

0:22:020:22:05

Week In, Week Out has uncovered another opportunity the police had

0:22:050:22:08

to investigate links between Southern Investigations an the News

0:22:080:22:16

Of The World. We've discovered a senior officer on the Daniel Morgan

0:22:160:22:19

murder inquiry contacted the anti- corruption command at the

0:22:190:22:23

Metropolitan Police. The officer expressed concern that attempts

0:22:230:22:30

were being made to discredit his boss, Jimmy Cook. He asked the Met

0:22:300:22:34

to investigate the -- Dave Cook. He asked the Met to investigate the

0:22:340:22:39

links to Southern Investigations. The Met did nothing. There are

0:22:390:22:43

obviously no-go areas in that relationship in terms of

0:22:430:22:47

investigation, insight. There are places where people are not allowed

0:22:470:22:51

to look. I'm afraid this is more reputational harm for the

0:22:510:22:58

Metropolitan Police in London. asked the Metropolitan Police for

0:22:580:23:06

an interview. They declined and refused to make any comments. On

0:23:060:23:11

March 10 this year, Daniel Morgan's family came to the Golden Lion pub

0:23:110:23:20

car park to remember him. It was the 24th anniversary of his death.

0:23:200:23:29

Just about here, I think. A painful day for the family. Just 24 hours

0:23:290:23:33

later, the most recent attempt by the Metropolitan Police to bring

0:23:330:23:38

the case to trial collapsed. Jonathan Rees and his two brothers-

0:23:380:23:47

in-law, Glenn and Garry Vian were cleared of murder. A fourth man

0:23:470:23:52

Jimmy Cook was cleared last November. The case against Sid

0:23:520:23:55

Fillery was suspended last February. He'd been accused of attempting to

0:23:550:24:05
0:24:050:24:07

pervert the course of justice. I feel is devastated, so torn apart,

0:24:070:24:16

wounded and I felt soulless. All the effort that had gone in had

0:24:160:24:24

crashed around us. All the time and the energy, the mental agony of

0:24:240:24:31

keeping it alive a lot of the time. The latest case against the men had

0:24:310:24:36

rested on the evidence of Supergrasss. The problem with using

0:24:370:24:41

Supergrasss as witnesses is that they themselves are criminals.

0:24:410:24:44

Their credibility and motivation for giving evidence is often

0:24:440:24:50

questioned. Indeed one man had his prison sentence of 25 years cut to

0:24:500:24:57

three years for helping the inquiry. One by one, the testimony of

0:24:570:25:02

Supergrass after Supergrass was dropped.

0:25:020:25:07

Finally the prosecution decided not to proceed towards a full blown

0:25:070:25:10

jury trial, after admitting there were crates of evidence the defence

0:25:100:25:16

hadn't seen. The prosecution should have never even been started. So

0:25:160:25:20

whether you say it's a good day or not, I shouldn't have been here in

0:25:200:25:25

the first place. I'm quite angry about it. The Met now admitted

0:25:250:25:28

corruption had hindered the original murder investigation.

0:25:280:25:32

is quite apparent that police corruption was a debilitating

0:25:320:25:39

factor in that investigation. This was wholey unacceptable. It has

0:25:390:25:43

been the conduct of the police from beginning tond on this and the

0:25:430:25:51

accumulation of incompetence and corruption that has led to the

0:25:510:26:00

final collapse of the trial. Five failed police inquiries, thousands

0:26:000:26:07

of witness statements, 40 potential suspects investigated, now Daniel's

0:26:070:26:12

family are focusingory energies on getting a judicial inquiry. Last

0:26:120:26:15

month Daniel's mother travelled from Mid Wales to join Alastair at

0:26:150:26:23

the Home Office. I'll be out in either three hours or two minutes.

0:26:230:26:29

OK. She was determined to see Home Secretary, Theresa May, to press

0:26:290:26:37

her case for a judicial inquiry. I've come all the way from Wales.

0:26:370:26:44

For 25 years we have been trying desperately, my surviving son and

0:26:440:26:54
0:26:540:26:54

myself, to have justice. No face- to-face meeting, but today the

0:26:540:27:00

family were told to -- Theresa May will meet them in early December.

0:27:000:27:04

Daniel's murder will also be brought up at the Leveson Inquiry

0:27:040:27:11

into hacking an the press. Hainshainshains will give evidence.

0:27:110:27:16

-- Jackie Hanes will give evidence. And Tom Watson is supporting the

0:27:160:27:20

fight. The Morgan family have not only gone through hell but justice

0:27:200:27:25

has not yet been done. The Met themselves have admitted there was

0:27:250:27:28

corruption at the heart of the investigation. I think it's really

0:27:280:27:36

important that we have a public inquiry to get to the facts.

0:27:360:27:41

Alastair is still hoping, searching for answers about the murder, so

0:27:410:27:44

that he might finally say goodbye to his brother. We're still

0:27:440:27:48

carrying his coffin around, you know, we're still carrying him on

0:27:480:27:52

our shoulders. We haven't buried him. He hasn't been laid to rest.

0:27:520:27:55

We've buried him in the physical sense, but he's never been laid to

0:27:550:28:03

rest. In the truest sense of the word. At 83 years old, Daniel's

0:28:030:28:09

Download Subtitles

SRT

ASS