How Kevin Nunes' murder became major Staffordshire Police scandal
It was the brutal murder of a small-time drug dealer that morphed into one of Britain’s biggest police scandals.
It was nearly 15 years ago Kevin Nunes, a promising amateur footballer, was killed by firing squad in a sleepy Staffordshire lane on the outskirts of Wolverhampton.
When five Black Country gangsters were jailed for life in 2008 over the murder, the case appeared to be closed. No-one could have predicted what would have happened next.
Four years later, in 2012, the five men convicted of Kevin’s murder sensationally had their convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal.
A whistleblower revealed that a damning dossier, which highlighted significant failings and alleged wrongdoing in the Sensitive Policing Unit handling the Nunes case, had never been disclosed to the original murder trial. Its contents were shocking.
It showed Detective Inspector Joe Anderson had reported there was ‘corruption, dishonesty and falsification’ within the unit to his superiors.
The report also revealed detectives drunk alcohol with the star witness, covered-up alleged crimes committed by the witness, and allegedly abused overtime to boost their pay
And one of the witness handlers was having an ‘intimate affair’ with the female officer in charge of overseeing evidence.
It revealed the unit was dysfunctional, detectives didn’t trust each other, and unveiled major concerns over the integrity of the officers.
In the Court of Appeal, Lord Justice Hooper declared: “This is a very bad case of non-disclosure. It is to be hoped the appropriate measures will be taken against those responsible for what appears to us to be a serious perversion of the course of justice, if those measures have not already been taken.
“It is to be hoped that lessons will be learnt from this shocking episode.”
Operation Kalmia was launched by the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, led by experienced detective and Derbyshire Chief Constable Mick Creedon.
Those under investigation included Staffordshire Chief Constable Jane Sawyers, Northamptonshire Chief Constable Adrian Lee, Gloucestershire Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, West Midlands Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale, and former Detective Chief Superintendent Geoff White.
All had been senior officers of varying chief rank at Staffordshire during the original Nunes murder trial.
By, 2014 it was decided that none of the 14 officers would face criminal charges over misconduct in public office and an alleged ‘cover-up’. But it did leave open the prospect of police disciplinary action and in November 2015, Mr Creedon completed his investigation and submitted his report to the IPCC.
By then virtually all of the 14 officers had retired, meaning no further action could be taken.
The files were also sent to the Police and Crime Commissioners of the officers’ forces, who subsequently cleared the senior officers of any wrongdoing.
Last year, the IPCC acknowledged Mr Creedon’s damning report had recommended the senior officers face further action on alleged grounds of gross misconduct – but did not publish his full findings. It decided not to press ahead with misconduct hearings.
The IPCC will finally publish Mr Creedon’s full report next month – two and a half years after it was concluded.
This unedifying chapter in the story of Staffordshire Police may finally be coming to a close. And after 15 years, the public may finally get the truth.
