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09/06/93-
Witness Statement of BURKE Detective Superintendent
Witness Statement
Statement of Christopher BURKE Detective Superintendent
Age If under 21 'over 21' . (if over 21 Insert 'over 21').
This statement (consisting of ....3..... pages each signed
by me) Is true to the best of my knowledge and belief and
I make It knowing that, If It Is tendered In evidence, I
shall be liable to prosecution If I have wilfully stated
In It anything which I know to be false or do not believe
to be true.
Dated the 9th day of June 1993
Signature ...C.BURKE...Det..Supt.....
On the 29th July 1991, I took over the investigation of
the murder of Alison SHAUGHNESSY whose body was found on
the 3rd June 1991, at 41 Vardens Road, Battersea. On the
2nd August 1991, I directed my officers to return to Vardens
Road and re-examine all the house to house proformas and
interview all the occupants. On the 4th August 1991, Doctor
Unsworth-White was seen at his home address at 9 Vardens
Road, London SW11 by Detective Constable Angela THOMAS.
He told her "That he had seen two women coming out
of the address in Vardens Road as he cycled down Vardens
from Roundhouse End. They were carrying a white plastic
bag which he thought looked like laundry and walked off
up Vardens towards the Roundhouse. Almost immediately behind
them from the same house he believes came a 50 year old
man dressed in an overcoat.
Stated firstly that the second woman may have been black
and then retracted and stated both were white, 18 - 20 years
and dressed casually". Doctor Unsworth-White had been
seen previously shortly after the murder and was asked by
an officer whether he had seen anything suspicious. He told
the officer that he had not seen anything of that kind.
Detective Constable THOMAS completed an officers information
form detailing the new information supplied by Doctor Unsworth-White.
She placed that completed form into the major incident system.
The same day at 1202 hrs those details were typed on to
a message format. ( from that an action was raised to 1)
trace and interview two unidentified females coming out
of 41 or 43 Vardens Road and eliminate, 2) to see coloured
female ocupant of number 43 to clarify if it were her, 3)
to take a statement from Doctor Unsworth-White.
That action was raised on the 5th August 1991, at 1340hrs.
It was allocated to Detective Constable GALLAGHER. However
for some reason Detective Constable SUMMERS carried out
the task. He interviewed Doctor Unsworth-White to clarify
the descriptions of the two girls he had allegedly seen
coming out of either 41 or 43 Vardens Road. He took a witness
statement in which Doctor Unsworth-White described both
girls as being white and between 18 and 20 years.
The descriptions he gave were similar to those of both Michele
and Lisa Taylor. He completed the action form on the 8th
June 1991. He stated that Doctor Unsworth-White saw two
white females coming down the steps of 41 or 43 Vardens
Road. Both the action and statement were put into the major
incident system. As the senior investigating officer I was
satisfied that Doctor Unsworth-White's statement completed
the action.
The statement was then prepared with the prosecution papers
which were then supplied to the Crown Prosecution Service.
In this case all statements relevant and non relevant were
served on the CPS. They were also given details of all exhibits,
documentary or otherwise collected during the course of
this investigation. Therefore all the unused material laid
down in the Attorney Generals Guidlines for Disclosure of
"Unused Material" for the Defence 1982 had been
complied with.
This was the accepted policy adhered to by the Metropolitan
Police Service. In August of 1991, albeit the Ward case
had just been heard, the Metropolitan Police Service had
no policy in relation to the service of telephone messages
(officers information), actions and house to house proformas
on the CPS. Therefore non service of both Detective Constable
THOMAS'S officer information form and Detective Constable
SUMMERS completed action form were in my opinion quite correctly
not served on the CPS.
The evidence Doctor Unsworth-White could give had been taken
down by a Police Officer on a statement form and served
properly on the CPS. I was not aware of the stated case
of R. v Turnbull. I did not and neither did any of my staff
deliberately conceal the existence of the above mentioned
officers information form and or the action document. I
cannot impress enough that the service of evidence collected
by my officers during the course of this enquiry had in
my opinion been quite properly dealt with and what is more
in accordance with the guidlines already mentioned.
Signature C. BURKE. Det Supt |
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