A dying phone engineer disclosed that he was coerced by the police to manipulate call data crucial in convicting two individuals for the Essex Boys murders. Lee Shaw, a key witness in the contentious cases of Michael Steele and Jack Whomes, made this revelation while battling cancer. His written confession, delivered to a private investigation firm last year, raises doubts about the convictions of Steele and Whomes, who were imprisoned for the killings three decades ago.
The emergence of this new information intensifies suspicions that Steele and Whomes, now released from custody, might have been unjustly found guilty of the murders of Tony Tucker, Pat Tate, and Craig Rolfe. The three victims were discovered shot to death in a Range Rover in Rettendon, Essex, in 1995. Former police officer turned private investigator David McKelvey, associated with TM Eye, expressed the significance of Shaw’s account, emphasizing concerns regarding the potential manipulation of telephone data crucial to the case.
Another investigator, Albert Patrick, a former detective chief superintendent, is advocating for Essex Police to grant TM Eye access to 124 crates of case evidence. Patrick highlighted doubts surrounding the cell phone evidence in the case. Shaw, who previously worked at Telewest in Southend, Essex, revealed that he was pressured by the police to edit phone logs under the threat of imprisonment due to his past involvement in criminal activities.
Shaw’s disclosure has sparked a reassessment of the case, with TM Eye investigator Richard Burgess suggesting that the phone evidence may have been tampered with, rendering it inadmissible. The pressures faced by Essex Police to solve the case led to the arrest of Darren Nicholls, a criminal turned police informant, who incriminated Whomes, Steele, and the deceased individuals. Nicholls, receiving leniency and protection, later participated in a TV documentary before the trial of Whomes and Steele.
The case took various turns, including the arrest of an East End criminal who claimed involvement in the murders, linking them to a South London criminal. Allegations have surfaced over the years, with claims of innocence by ex-gangster Steve “Nipper” Ellis accusing his late father of the murders. Despite their release from prison, Whomes and Steele continue to assert their innocence, with ongoing reviews of their convictions by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
Amidst these developments, Essex Police has reiterated the thorough investigation conducted into the murders, emphasizing the upheld convictions of Steele and Whomes following multiple appeals. The force remains open to collaboration with the CCRC and the evaluation of any new information pertaining to the case.