20/04/07 - Rettendon killers will be freed - lawyer
DANIELLE NUTTALL
EADT

A LAWYER fighting to free one of the men convicted of the 'Essex Boys' murders has been told it could take years before the European Court of Human Rights decides whether his client was denied a fair trial.

But Chris Bowen, who has represented Michael Steele for the past 11 years, said he was confident Steele would be granted his freedom before that date at the Court of Appeal in London thanks to “explosive” new evidence.

Steele, 63, of Great Bentley, and Jack Whomes, 46, of Brockford, near Eye, are serving life sentences for the 1995 murders of Patrick Tate, Anthony Tucker and Craig Rolfe, who were found dead in a Range Rover on an isolated farm track in Rettendon, near Chelmsford.

The case was referred back to the Court of Appeal in March last year following a review by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) but judges hearing the case upheld the men's convictions.

In a fresh attempt to secure his client's freedom, Mr Bowen handed over a petition to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg yesterday.

The 50-page document explained the case in detail and urged the court to rule Steele was denied a fair trial.

Speaking from Strasbourg last night, Mr Bowen said an official had told him it could take years before the court announced a decision at a hearing.

“This will not end at the European Court of Human Rights because the powerful nature of our case means the CCRC will be forced to refer this to the Court of Appeal,” he said.

“If Michael Steele did not have any hope in domestic courts this organisation itself would be providing the only hope.

“We have a lot of hope now and we have high expectations. We at least have the information we need.

“Having an application at the court now means it will be obliged to consider the nature and detail of this application.

“But I believe that by the time the European Court of Human Rights comes to rule on this case, Michael Steele and John Whomes will already be enjoying their freedom, thanks to the Court of Appeal in England.”

During the original trial, Steele and Whomes, along with Peter Corry, of Clacton, were also found guilty of conspiracy to import cannabis.

The case was referred back to the Court of Appeal in March last year after fresh evidence revealed the central prosecution witness in the trial - supergrass Darren Nicholls - sold his story to a publisher more than a year before giving evidence against the pair in court.

Lawyers representing the men argued if the jury had known about the media deal, they would have come to a different verdict.

Steele's legal team is set to resubmit the case to the CCRC in the near future.