Downing angry at 'suspect' claim

Downing angry at 'suspect' claim

Wendy Sewell was killed in 1973

Stephen Downing, who served 27 years for killing Derbyshire typist Wendy Sewell before his conviction was quashed, has said he is angry the police could not rule him out as a suspect.

Police began their re-investigation of the case in April last year, with 16 officers working full-time on the inquiry.

A newly released report says they had eliminated all suspects except the 46-year-old from Bakewell in Derbyshire.

Mrs Sewell, who was 32, was bludgeoned to death in the grounds of Bakewell Cemetery in September 1973 as she took a lunchtime stroll.

Mr Downing - then aged 17 - was working as a groundsman at the cemetery.

He confessed to the attack on Mrs Sewell but later retracted.

After a high profile campaign to free him, his conviction was quashed.

Stephen Downing's conviction was ruled unsafe

Derbyshire police have reviewed the case at an estimated cost of £500,000 with a total of 1,600 new and original witnesses interviewed.

Derbyshire Police Deputy Chief Constable Bob Wood said: "Despite the lengthy investigation, we have not been able to eliminate Stephen Downing from the inquiry."

Mr Downing said: "I was disappointed and angry with today's report."

He said he had been happy to go along with the inquiry and comply with it as fully as lawyers felt he could.

He added: "I am an innocent man and no matter what's been said my only crime was being aged 17 and being in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Officers wanted to question him about three confessions he is alleged to have made since his release from prison, including one recorded on audio tape.

Campaigner criticised

Don Hale, the journalist who campaigned for Stephen Downing's release, was criticised by police

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The newly released report says: "Throughout the re-investigation, Stephen Downing has maintained a good working relationship with the investigating officers.

"He provided his fingerprints for elimination purposes but refused to be interviewed following consultation with his legal representatives."

Mr Wood said: "The police are not looking for any other person for the murder of Wendy Sewell.

"All possible lines of inquiry have been exhausted. The case is now closed unless any substantial new evidence comes to light."

Stephen Downing's spokesman, Richard Cramer, said Mr Downing "needs a chance to consider the report" and was awaiting further advice from an advisory group which oversaw the re-investigation.

Campaign for freedom

A campaign was started to free Mr Downing and received support from Don Hale, the former editor of the Matlock Mercury.

Following work conducted by the campaign team, the Downing case was referred to the Criminal Cases Review Commission in 1997.

A Court of Appeal hearing in January last year heard that when he was first questioned by police, Mr Downing was not formally told he was under arrest and not informed of his right to a solicitor.

Mr Wood said on Thursday: "We acknowledge that mistakes, relating to the Judges' Rules in place at the time, were made in the original investigation."