| Flowers in Gods Garden
- Articles |
14/06/02
- Killer 'to withdraw legal bid' over book
by Lindsay Jennings
Northern Echo
AN author has vowed to press ahead with his book about
child killer Shaun Armstrong as legal action against
him looks certain to be dropped.
Paedophile Armstrong, the killer of Hartlepool toddler
Rosie Palmer, was suing writer Bernard O'Mahoney for
breach of confidentiality and the profits of any book
which may be written.
But according to Mr O'Mahoney, Armstrong, who has used
thousands of pounds of public money to pursue his legal
bid, has decided to drop the case after consulting an
independent barrister.
The legal bid was due to go ahead at the Royal Courts
of Justice in London on July 8, but the court is now
likely to hear an application for the case to be withdrawn.
Mr O'Mahoney, of Lincolnshire, extracted a confession
from Armstrong by writing to him, pretending to be a
woman and striking up a relationship.
The author later handed over his letters to Cleveland
Police but Armstrong claimed his confidence had been
breached. Yesterday, Mr O'Mahoney said: "I feel
a little bit cheated really because I knew he was lying
and was quite relishing the thought of exposing him
in public.
"He's a vile fantasist, his case has just been
ludicrous and it has cost the tax payer thousands of
pounds." Three-year-old Rosie was abducted and
murdered by Armstrong after she had left her home in
Henrietta Street, Hartlepool to buy an ice lolly.
Mr O'Mahoney has now vowed to write his book on Armstrong
and other notorious paedophiles. They include Richard
Blenkey, who molested and strangled seven-year-old Paul
Pearson in Cleveland in 1991, Roy Whiting, who abducted
and murdered eight-year-old Sarah Payne in West Sussex
and Howard Hughes, who raped and killed Cheshire schoolgirl
Sophie Hook after snatching her from a tent in her uncle's
garden.
Mr O'Mahoney, who has also vowed to send any information
he has on Armstrong to his parole board, has corresponded
with all the men, pretending to be someone else. "There
will be no gratuitous details. It will be more about
the people who commit these type of crimes and their
mindset," he said.
Councillor Kevin Kelly, a former member of the Rosie
Palmer Foundation, said: "I am relieved the case
is going to be dropped. The family deserve to be left
in peace now." Elkan Abrahamson, Armstrong's solicitor,
was unavailable for comment yesterday. |
| Contact : bernard.omahoney@bernardomahoney.com |
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