Inquiry into actions of police in Lynette White murder case that ended in trial collapse was 'groundbreaking', says watchdog

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

An investigation into the Cardiff Three miscarriage of justice case that ended in the collapse of a high-profile corruption trial was carried out with integrity and diligence, the police watchdog has said.

The investigation led to eight former South Wales police officers being tried for their handling of the Lynette White murder case.

Their expensive and lengthy trial collapsed after four files of documents could not be found as police and prosecutors were overwhelmed by more than 1m pages of evidence. The investigation and trial cost an estimated £30m. But the Independent Police Complaints Commission concluded that the investigation would inform future complex historical inquiries.

The IPCC commissioner for Wales, Tom Davies, said: "This was a groundbreaking investigation and many lessons have been learnt from this to guide future historical crime and serious misconduct investigations and improve police practice in future.

"Chief Superintendent Chris Coutts [the senior investigating officer] and his team conducted a thorough investigation and carried it out with integrity and diligence."

Lynette White was murdered in 1988. Photograph: South Wales police/PA

White, a sex worker from Cardiff, was murdered on Valentine's Day 1988. Yusef Abdullahi, Stephen Miller and Tony Paris were jailed in 1990, and freed in 1992 by the court of appeal. Jeffrey Gafoor, who was unconnected to the three men, was jailed for the murder in 2003.

South Wales police launched a huge investigation into the actions of officers involved in the original White inquiry. There were to be two trials involving 13 police officers but the legal action was discontinued when the paperwork went missing.

At the time it was thought that documents had been shredded but they were later found. Reports from the IPCC and HM Crown Prosecution Inspectorate released this year revealed the failure of police and prosecution to control files.

On Monday, the IPCC formally concluded its oversight of the alleged corruption investigation. South Wales police also published its report explaining how and why it undertook the investigation into some of the officers involved in the original White inquiry.

The force said it had reviewed its disclosure procedures and the way it works with the Crown Prosecution Service.

Chief Constable Peter Vaughan said it had been a courageous decision by South Wales police to pursue "this robust investigation into a very difficult chapter in the history of the force".

He said: "South Wales police has been determined to find the truth about Lynette White's murder and also to ensure an exhaustive inquiry was completed into police action in the first investigation of the case. This has given rise to a criminal trial and a substantial body of learning for this force and others.

"Since Lynette's tragic murder, we have transformed the way we deal with historic cases and successfully reinvestigated a number of other undetected crimes. These include the conviction of Jeffrey Gafoor for Lynette White's murder."

The police and crime commissioner for South Wales, Alun Michael, said: "I am very pleased that the Independent Police Complaints Commission has formally signed off this difficult and protracted investigation and has done so without reservation or qualification.

"It was no small decision for the chief constable at the time to launch this investigation, and for three successive chief constables to maintain their determination to follow the evidence where it led."

Devon and Cornwall police continue to investigate complaints against the South Wales force made by defendants in the collapsed police corruption trial.