| Flowers in Gods Garden
- Articles |
06/09/01 - Killer gets legal aid to sue man who trapped him
Taken from The
Telegraph
By GUY PATRICK
A CHILD-KILLER who is serving a life sentence has been granted
legal aid to sue a writer who helped secure his conviction.
Shaun Armstrong, 39, was jailed for life in 1995 for the abduction
and murder of three-year-old Rosie Palmer.
He lived near her family in Hartlepool, Teesside. Armstrong
is now bringing a civil claim against Bernard O'Mahoney for
up to £15,000 alleging that he breached his privacy.
Mr O'Mahoney, pretending to be a woman, wrote to Armstrong over
11 months while he was in prison on remand. In one reply Armstrong
wrote: "Yes, I'm responsible for the crime but please don't
tell anybody." The letters were passed to the police for
use as evidence against him.
He is currently in the top security Frankland Prison in County
Durham. Armstrong now alleges that private letters detailing
his crime were obtained under false pretences and his privacy
was breached when they were given to police.
Elkan Abrahamson, his solicitor, said: "The claim is not
purely about the damages, more about the fact he wants the letters
back and doesn't want a book written about him." Mr O'Mahoney
said details in the letters were shocking and described details
of the killing as well as aspects of Armstrong's childhood.
He is planning to write a book and donate the proceeds to charity
but has been served with a writ claiming he breached Armstrong's
right to confidentiality and violated his privacy. Rosie was
snatched as she went to buy a lollipop yards from her home in
June 1994.
Her battered body was discovered three days later in Armstrong's
flat. Armstrong had intended to deny murder and stand trial
at Leeds Crown Court but entered a guilty plea after O'Mahoney
wrote to him. Mr O'Mahoney said: "It's obscene that he
can do this.
I think he's trying to sue me because he's concerned that if
the truth gets out about his own views on the crime it may damage
his chance of parole." Kevin Kelly, a local councillor
and friend of the Palmer family, said: "This is just opening
an old wound. The fact that he is going to use public money
[to sue] is disgusting."
The Legal Services Commission confirmed that Armstrong had been
granted legal aid and had been treated in exactly the same way
as any member of the public. A spokesman said: "The same
rules would be applied to his application for aid and it would
be treated on its merits." |
| Contact : bernard.omahoney@bernardomahoney.com |
|
|
| Flowers in Gods Garden |
|
| Paul Pearson |
|
| Rosie Palmer |
|
| Sophie Hook |
|
| Sarah Payne |
|
| Victoria Climbie |
|
| Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman |
- Documents
- Audio
|
| The Yorkshire Ripper |
- Video
|
|
