Julie's killers 'will be found'

Three people have already been cleared of Julie Ward's murder

A senior detective is confident Julie Ward's killers will be brought to justice after receiving "significant" evidence from a new informant.

Det Chief Supt Terry Hackett told the inquest into her death that fresh witnesses had also been found.

The officer, who is looking into the 1988 murder in Kenya, said they would give important evidence.

Julie's father, John Ward, said the news was one of the strongest developments since his daughter died.

I am very confident that finally the people who committed this murder will be brought to justice Det Chief Supt Terry Hackett

Mr Ward, 70, of Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, who has mounted a personal crusade to find justice for his daughter, said: "This is the strongest development we have ever had. If we don't get a result now, we never will.

"I am almost certain there will be a new investigation."

Mr Hackett, of Lincolnshire Police, told the inquest at Ipswich in Suffolk, he had been asked to investigate after Mr Ward complained three years ago.

Julie's father believed the Foreign Office, the Metropolitan Police, who were also involved in investigating Miss Ward's murder, and the Kenyan government under the then president Daniel Moi, had colluded to prevent the killers being found.

Mr Hackett said his investigation of the complaint had overlapped into a reinvestigation of the murder.

"I am very confident that finally the people who committed this murder will be brought to justice.

"It has come to my attention that there is a significant witness, who we will call a covert human intelligence source, that has come forward to give information to Mr Ward which I believe will be most significant."

Good evidence

Photographer Miss Ward, 28, of Bury St Edmunds, was travelling in the Masai Mara game reserve in September 1988 when she disappeared.

When some of her remains were found near a fire the Kenyan authorities initially said she had either been attacked by animals, struck by lightning or committed suicide.

But post mortem tests showed that she had been murdered, decapitated and her body dismembered and scattered around the bush.

Lincolnshire Police are due to report on their review of the evidence to the Police Complaints Commission later this year.

Asked by coroner Peter Dean for an overview of the investigation on the fifth day of the inquest into Miss Ward's death, Mr Hackett said that while out in Kenya they had come across new witnesses.

"One particularly significant witness, who I would not like to name, certainly gives very good evidence.

'Very significant'

"Under the previous regime, this witness was unwilling to make a statement but I am now sure that person will be willing to give us that statement. It is very significant.

"We are talking about new lines of inquiry in relation to new witnesses.

"I would hope that a statement taken from that person will then lead other people to come forward with evidence.

"This case is detectable and I personally, having met (Kenyan) government officials this week, I am confident of the full co-operation of the Kenyan authorities and the Kenyan government in relation to the reinvestigation of Julie's murder."

Mr Hackett said he was in the process of passing the new information to the Kenyan authorities so that they could begin the new investigation.

The hearing continues.