Probe into 1951 murders ‘opens up old wounds’

Former West Yorkshire Police detective Steve Lawson has spent several years looking into the murders of two police officers in Huddersfield in 1951 and is convinced the wrong man was hanged for the crimes.

His campaign to clear the name of poultry farmer Alfred Moore for killing two officers outside his Kirkheaton farmhouse in 1951 has been backed by retired judge Patrick Robertshaw whose book, No Smoking Gun, casts doubt on the conviction.

But Mr Lawson, who has written his own book on the case, recently failed to convince the Criminal Cases Review Commission which declined to refer the case to the Court of Appeal, citing a lack of new evidence.

The CCRC decision spurred Mr Lawson to look elsewhere for information about the case and resulted in him visiting a daughter of one of the murdered officers, Pc Gordon Jagger. Their short conversation on her doorstep prompted Mr Lawson to write to her.

But soon after he was warned by West Yorkshire Police that
his conduct had caused deep upset.

In a letter, Detective Sergeant Jon Morley, of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, urges Mr Lawson not to contact members of the Jagger family.

It says: “I am aware you have an interest in the Kirkburton (sic) murders of two police officers in 1951 as I have been contacted by Miss Jagger, the daughter of one of the murdered police officers.

“She informs me that she was visited by yourself at her home address on 30 April this year. The visit was not pre-arranged and against her wishes.

“During the brief conversation in relation to her father’s death she told you that she could not assist and asked you to leave.

“The visit left her feeling upset and re-opened strong emotions that she has spent many years trying to overcome.

“Within a short space of time Miss Jagger received a letter from yourself in relation to the murders. The contents of the letter again caused Miss Jagger to be upset.

“The lady has received two further letters from the daughter of Mr Moore and his nephew both shortly after your correspondence. Again these letters have caused her undue distress.”

Det Sgt Morley said he appreciated that Mr Lawson was researching the murders with a view to proving Mr Moore was wrongly convicted “and do not seek to prevent you from researching all possible lines of enquiry”.

But he said Miss Jagger was “still grieving for the loss of her father” and did not want to assist with the research.

In a reply, Mr Lawson accused the Force of wasting time and money on something that “clearly is not a police matter”.

Yesterday, a Force spokesman said: “We were contacted by a relative of Pc Gordon Jagger to say she had been contacted by Mr Lawson about the murder in 1951, and had been put through fresh distress and effectively re-traumatised as a result of that contact.

“As she made it clear to us that she didn’t want to be spoken to about the matter, officers wrote to Mr Lawson on this lady’s behalf to advise him she wished to be left alone.

“West Yorkshire Police will listen to anyone who believes they have fresh evidence about criminal matters, but also have a duty of care to victims. Officers have acted in accordance with the wishes of a vulnerable resident to convey a message she did not feel she had the strength to.”