Campaign for farmer ‘innocent’ over 1950s murders

Alfred Moore, 36, was hanged for shooting Detective Inspector Duncan Fraser and Pc Arthur Jagger during a police operation in July 1951 near to Moore’s farmhouse in Kirkheaton, Huddersfield.

In recent years doubts have been cast on the conviction by a retired judge, members of Moore’s family and two former police officers in an unofficial re-investigation.

The case was referred to the Criminal Cases Review Commission by former policeman Steve Lawson who researched the case.

But in 2001 the CCRC, which investigates possible miscarriages of justice, announced it would not refer the conviction to the Court of Appeal.

Since then Mr Lawson has published an online book, The Wrong Neck in the Noose, which has prompted more people to call for the case to be re-examined.

More than 50 people have joined a new Facebook group, Justice for Alfred Moore, and have pledged to raise £5,000 to pay forensic experts to look again at evidence given at Moore’s trial.

Mr Lawson, who lives in Huddersfield, believes experts would be able to “pick apart” the prosecution case.

One key piece of evidence was the testimony of a dying Pc Jagger who picked out Moore in an identity parade.

Supporters of Moore believe Pc Jagger would have been too affected by pain-relieving drugs to have provided credible evidence.

Mr Lawson recently spoke to a solicitor experienced in reviewing old cases.

“The solicitor advised that the whole medical, pathology and forensic evidence be re-examined by modern-day forensic experts with a view to making a fresh application to the CCRC.”

Members of the campaign group have begun raising money and are preparing to meet Tony Moore, a nephew of Alfred, who is flying from Australia in June
to discuss the campaign’s next step.

“The fight to clear the name of Alfred Moore, far from being over, is just beginning,” said Mr Lawson.

“We believe that common sense and justice will prevail and that finally Alfred can be taken from his unmarked grave in New Wortley Cemetery (Leeds) to a new resting place.”

The campaign has the backing of Stephen Pogson, another nephew of Moore’s, also living in Australia.

He said: “I have watched patiently from afar the frustrated efforts to have Alfred’s case reopened, in an effort to give his surviving children some relief from the intolerable burden they have carried for over 60 years.

“Efforts to clear his name, thus far, have come to nought...the British justice system must come to grips with the reality of this foul affair.”

He added: “These past wrongs are now screaming to be righted. I call upon all who listen and all who are able, to use their good offices in the campaign to bring some final justice for Alfred Moore.”

Campaign group chairman, Linda Holmes, from Clayton in Bradford, said: “After reading The Wrong Neck in the Noose, I believe Alfred Moore was wrongly tried and sentenced to death.

“The appeal fund is to kickstart the campaign to attain the true verdict which, without doubt, should be ‘not guilty’.”