Bakewell murder police handed tapes

Stephen Downing (right) with Don Hale

Detectives who re-opened an inquiry into a murder from 1973 are to study taped conversations between the man convicted of the crime and his former girlfriend.

Stephen Downing was 17-years-old when he was found guilty of battering Wendy Sewell to death in a graveyard in Bakewell, Derbyshire.

He served 27 years in prison before the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction earlier this year.

Now a recording has been handed to police of an apparent conversation between Mr Downing, 45, and his former girlfriend Christine Smith, 46.

Wendy Sewell was the victim of a brutal attack

A Derbyshire police spokesman said: "I can confirm that a tape has been handed to us, but until officers have listened to it we are unable to comment on its credibility or content."

Don Hale, whose newspaper campaign helped secure the release of Mr Downing, said: "I had lunch with Stephen and he seems quite relaxed about the whole thing.

"Stephen and Christine have fallen out in the last few weeks."

Mr Downing, who had a mental age of an 11-year-old when he was charged with murder, said he had stumbled across the mortally-injured Mrs Sewell.

He was released last year when it was revealed that detectives at the time had failed to caution him properly before he made his confession.

The Appeal Court ruled the conviction to be unsafe earlier this year.