Murder case alters police methods

Royston Moore was 'truly evil' said the judge

An attempt by a killer to hide the evidence of his crime by lighting a fire has altered the way a police force treats deaths involving fires.

South Wales Police admitted they were hampered in their investigation into the death of Beverley Parkhouse because forensic evidence at the time was lost.

Mrs Parkhouse, 45, was murdered by Royston Moore, 52, but initially it was believed she died from inhaling smoke.

The force now routinely sends forensic officers to any deaths involving fire.

Moore throttled Mrs Parkhouse at her father's home in Ogmore Vale in September 2006 after a night out at the Nantymoel Social Club.

The pair had been conducting a clandestine affair for nearly a year, and Mrs Parkhouse's husband and daughter were unaware of what was happening.

Moore set light to the bed Mrs Parkhouse was in, knowing that her father was asleep in another bedroom in the house, but the fire extinguished itself.

We were hampered by the manner in which it was initially dealt with Det Sgt Paul Giess

Mrs Parkhouse's death was initially thought to be accidental and a report was sent to the coroner, but the inquiry was reopened after the coroner raised concerns about the case.

Speaking after Moore, of Nantymoel, Bridgend, was sentenced to life imprisonment, Det Sergeant Paul Giess said Moore had only become a potential suspect when a friend of Mrs Parkhouse's came forward to reveal the affair.

"We were hampered by the manner in which it (the death) was initially dealt with," said Det Sgt Giess.

Officers were forced to rely on circumstantial rather than forensic evidence as the crime scene had been destroyed by the time Mrs Parkhouse's death was being treated as suspicious.

Det Sgt Giess added the force had "learned their lessons" and changed their procedures to include despatching a forensic team to all deaths involving fires as a matter of course.

Mr Justice Lloyd Jones sentenced Moore to life imprisonment, recommending he serve at least 20 years before becoming eligible for parole.

He called Moore a "devious, manipulative and thoroughly brutal man", adding Mrs Parkhouse's death should "haunt and shame" him for the rest of his life.

He said Moore had killed in a "cold and efficient way", adding that starting the fire knowing Mrs Parkhouse's father was asleep in the house was a "grave, aggravating factor"

"It shows what a truly evil man you are. No thanks to you, the fire did not take hold," he said.