There is an obsession with procedure at the expense of the bigger picture. His loyal family had also suffered. Steve said: I am certain that in some remote corner of the world there is a 5ft hole with a dead woman at the bottom of it. In the mid 1980s, while serving time in prison, Halliwell reportedly asked another inmate how many women it's necessary to kill before you're considered a serial murderer. We walked away and he said Do you want another one? He then told me he had killed a girl in 2003, 4 or 5, and he could take me to that body the exact spot.. Freeman met Fulcher during the filming of A Confession, and Fulcher has now watched the dramatisation. During the investigation, Detective Steve Fulcher broke police protocol and extracted not one, but two confessions from the killer. POLICE unearthed the stash of trophies just 15 miles from where serial killer Christopher Halliwell had led them to Sian OCallaghans body. CCTV of Sians last-known moments led him to 47-year-old father-of-three Christopher Halliwell. This investigation damaged Fulcher's career as a senior police officer, and despite keeping his job with a final written warning in January 2014, he resigned from the force in May of that year. Natalie Corner For Mailonline The manner in which Steve gained Halliwells confession to killing second victim Becky Godden-Edwards breached police procedure by failing to caution him and denying access to a solicitor. What are the real-life events behind ITV's true crime drama A Confession? Steve is convinced Halliwell murdered others after he revealed he had buried Becky Godden in a 5ft hole. Oscar-nominated scriptwriter Jeff Pope based the drama on Det Supt Fulchers memoirs and independent research. "I for one stand by Fulcher's steadfast resolve to try and find my sister Sian," Liam O'Callaghan said. He was allowed to keep his job, but later resigned. Halliwell had been spotted buying a large quantity of pills, so officers were sent in to arrest him. Halliwell is thought to have killed Becky in 2003, while Sian was killed in 2011. It took a jury just two hours to find him guilty. Its a simple moral issue, he told the Guardian. In fact, they were the only things to do.. Once in the remote woodland, Halliwell stood on the exact spot where he claimed hed buried a girl years earlier. On March 19 2011, 22-year-old Sian O'Callaghan disappeared from Wiltshire after last being spotted at a nightclub in the area. Another potential victim is prostitute Sally Ann John, 24, who vanished from Swindon in 1995. "Because you don't want to mention a name and then give a family false hope. What are the ramifications of that? By then, Halliwell had been charged with Sian OCallaghans murder he had stabbed her to death before dumping her body and placed on technical bail (where bail is granted as the accused is already in custody) for the murder of the as-yet-unidentified woman. The protracted investigations into his conduct, meanwhile, have affected not only his health but that of Yvonne, his 48-year-old wife of 28 years, and their two 20-something daughters investigations which, as Fulcher emphasises in this blistering interview, could have been better used to secure Halliwells conviction for Becky Goddards death years earlier. Why on earth had this killer been given every conceivable privilege, while a brave, upstanding detective was hung out to dry? In the early hours of Saturday 19th March 2011, a 22-year-old named Sian O'Callaghan left Suju's nightclub in Swindon after a night out with her friends. But the following day, there were "significant lines of inquiry" and the public were asked to stand down from the search. These are usually reserved for terrorist cases. Murphy explained in the documentary: 'A police officer had the idea of looking at all the police dashboard cameras that were patrolling central Swindon at the time. What is right and what is wrong? I met Sians parents and promised them I wouldnt rest until I found her, he recalls. He said: If Im right, he had a propensity for killing on average once a year. A young woman called Becky Godden-Edwards had gone missing a number of years before, last seen in 2002 or 2003. In essence, Fulcher was using his experience to make a judgment call a call that took him on another car journey with Halliwell to rural Gloucestershire. The disappearances of Tina Pryer, 39, Thi Hai Nguyen, 20, and Sandra Brewin, 21, have also been linked to the killer. 'He showed me a list of girls' names that he kept in his phone of those that trusted him as a taxi driver. Only two of the items have ever been identified a cardigan worn by Becky, who disappeared in Swindon in 2003. It isnt and it hasnt been. In January 2014, Fulcher was found guilty of gross misconduct and given a final written warning by a disciplinary tribunal. Episode six of the six-part series will air tonight Monday . May 31, 2012 - Halliwell appears at Preston Crown Court and denies murdering Miss O'Callaghan. Martin Freeman plays Det Supt Steve Fulcher, the officer who took the monumental gamble which secured the admission but which also led to his own downfall. TWISTED Christopher Halliwell could be one of Britains worst serial killers, says the detective who put him behind bars. It seemed astonishing to me they were not pursing lines of enquiry. Trying to find Ireland's best burger or best pizza? A Confession viewers have been shocked by the twists and turns in the TV version of the horrific true story of serial killer Christopher Halliwell. I did these things because they were the right things to do in these circumstances. But only this week, five-and-a-half years after he led Fulcher to her remains, was he convicted of the murder of Becky Godden, at last bringing closure to her anguished family. But on that same afternoon, Halliwell was observed buying a large quantity of pills. Fulcher decided not to take Halliwell to. But then Halliwell had a second horrific confession. In the aftermath of Halliwells arrest, Fulcher was nominated for a Queens Police Medal the highest honour in policing for his work in extracting the brutal killers confession. Steve said: One witness came forward to say they were sure they had seen Halliwell and Claudia together. Halliwells father lived a few streets from the home of chef Claudia Lawrence, who has been missing since March 19, 2009. March 26, 2011 - Halliwell is charged with Miss O'Callaghan's murder. Four months later, he resigned from the Wiltshire Police force. As a result of this procedural failure, Halliwells confession regarding both murders was ruled inadmissible in court. However in a new one-off ITV documentary, To Catch a Serial Killer, DS Fulcher insists he did the right thing, saying: 'My view is that I have brought two daughters back to their mothers and I've prevented other victims resulting from Halliwell's continued pursuit of his career as a serial killer. ", Why? 'He had done what I considered to be the right thing. Something went wrong, please try again later. The taxi belonged to Halliwell, who told his company he had gone home at 1.30am - much earlier than Sian had disappeared. I couldnt believe it, he says. ", GMB's Susanna Reid forced to change outfit after fears it was too 'racy' for morning TV, Good Morning Britain presenter Susanna Reid has revealed she had to make last minute alterations to her dress after bosses and herself feared it was too racy for morning television, Who is Lisa Hogan? It was a terrible Catch 22. By The charge of murdering Miss Godden is formally withdrawn. Five days after her kidnap, they spotted Halliwell buying enough pills to kill himself so they swooped on his car and carried out an urgent interview. Judge Mrs Justice Cox ruled both of Halliwell's confessions were inadmissable as evidence because Fulcher had breached Police and Criminal Evidence Act guidelines. In 2018 he appeared on the ITV show To Catch a Serial Killer with Trevor McDonald.My view is that I have brought two daughters back to their mothers and Ive prevented other victims resulting from Halliwells continued pursuit of his career as a serial killer," Fulcher told McDonald. January 30, 2012 - Mrs Justice Cox rules the evidence of Halliwell's confessions to the murders of both women is inadmissible. The 2022 loss represents about 12% of the total portfolio. In it, he argues that his actions were to preserve the life of a hostage, as he was working on the assumption OCallaghan could still be alive and that Halliwell could lead him to her. If Sian was still alive, she probably wouldnt survive the 96 hours we could keep him in custody if he refused to co-operate.. In 2014, the police found "up to 60" items of women's clothing buried in woodland, close to where a pair of Sian's boots had been found. She was found in a shallow grave near Uffington in Oxfordshire, stabbed in the head and strangled. After joining the Wiltshire force in 2003, Fulcher was promoted to Detective Superintendent. The team found Sian's remains there. According to the PACE rules, he should have cautioned the killer and given him access to a solicitor after discovering that Sian was dead. 'I can't rule out that there are other victims. He published a book, titled Catching a Serial Killer: My hunt for murderer Christopher Halliwell, and has also spoken many times in the press about his experience of the case. Rebecca Godden-Edwards, aged 18, also known as Becky, whose remains were found by police investigating the murder of missing nightclubber Sian O'Callaghan. In January 2014, Fulcher was found guilty of gross misconduct and given a final written warning by a disciplinary tribunal. Their sentiments, however, are not shared by the police or the legal system. , updated However, four years later judge Sir John Griffith Williams decided that Fulcher's evidence could and should be heard in court as part of the case. "The panel considered independently whether or not the actions of Steve Fulcher had breached the standards of professional behaviour that apply to all police officers in England and Wales. He's not forensically linked to outstanding cases. He lost his police pension worth 500,000, had to sell his house and now works training police in war-torn Somalia. , updated September 19, 2016 - Halliwell is convicted of Miss Godden's murder. If she had traveled 12 miles in just half an hour, that meant the journey from Swindon Old Town could only have been made in a vehicle. Further to the hearing, Steve Fulcher was found guilty of two counts of gross misconduct (the execution of his duty and inappropriate contact with the media) and received two final written warnings, but remained a member of Wiltshire Police. I can understand what happened to Fulcher happened to Fulcher. At this point, with the focus shifting from kidnap to murder, Fulcher should, according to guidelines drawn up in The Police and Criminal Evidence Act of 1984 (PACE), have cautioned Halliwell again. ITV's The Confession, tells the story of how Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher breached protocols to catch a killer. Det Supt Fulcher had risen through the ranks at Sussex Police before moving to Wiltshire. Her husband Glyn has spent 13 years in jail for her murder but maintains his innocence, with his lawyer saying he would be 'very surprised' if he had committed the crime. He said: If I had taken Halliwell into custody we would never have found Sian and obviously we would never have heard of his other victim Becky Godden. A Confession airs on Monday nights on ITV and is available on ITV Hub. Her husband Glyn has spent 13 years in jail for her murder but maintains his innocence. For his emotion, when it comes, isnt for his own plight, but that of Becky, Sian, and their families. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. OPERS serves 1.2 million workers and retirees. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Steve Fulcher, the detective who put him behind bars, . He took the team to a field in Gloucestershire where the remains of a second woman were later found. However, DS Fulcher, played by Martin Freeman in the ITV drama series, was found guilty of gross misconduct and given a final disciplinary warning. Steve Fulcher confronted by killer Christopher Halliwell in A Confession finale teaser. August 30, 2016 - Retired High Court judge Sir John Griffith Williams rules that the jury can be told of Halliwell's conviction for Miss O'Callaghan's murder and his confession to Miss Godden's murder. Steve, who went on to get a job as a consultant for a private company in Somalia which offers aid from the Foreign Office, admitted he was shunned when trying to find work in the UK.. Wiltshire Police told the BBC : "The IPCC investigation concluded that a misconduct hearing should take place to consider potential gross misconduct. For Fulcher had gone from being Wiltshire Polices man of the hour flavour of the month as he puts it to having his reputation destroyed. PACE is there for a reason. It need never have been so. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Got Christopher Halliwell to confess to 2nd murder . This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Halliwell was convicted of Beckys murder in September 2016. Healthy mother-of-two, 32, collapsed and died from brain bleed while she led fitness bounce class. As Steve Fulcher tells of his battle with pen-pushers and myopic box-tickers within the police service, one thing is clear: the treatment received by this senior officer is enough to drive anyone to despair at the insanity of our legal system, one in which an obsession with process has taken precedence over the rights of victims and their families. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. The judge ruled: "I am satisfied that the evidence of the conviction of the defendant of the murder of Sian O'Callaghan is admissible to prove the defendant's propensity to commit murder. Under the PACE code of practice (relating to The Police And Criminal Evidence Act of 1984), DS Fulcher should have taken Halliwell straight back to the police station as soon as he confessed to Beckys murder. 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