The opportunity for convicted murderer Jeremy Bamber to face the former girlfriend who was a star prosecution witness at his trial 17 years ago was snatched from him.

It had been widely believed that Julie Mugford, who has not seen Bamber since the original trial, might be called to give evidence in the appeal against his conviction at the Royal Courts of Justice yesterday.

At the appeal into the conviction of Bamber for shooting five members of his family at White House Farm, Tolleshunt D'Arcy in August, 1985, Michael Turner QC, counsel for Bamber, had sought to prove that police suppressed information in order to bolster the character of Ms Mugford.

Ms Mugford, now a married mother-of-two living in Canada, had gone to police and told them Bamber, now 41, had often bragged to her that he was going to kill his parents and collect an inheritance of nearly £500,000.

Detectives originally thought Bamber's sister, Sheila Caffell, had been responsible for the killings of her adoptive parents and her twin sons before shooting herself but the finger of suspicion soon turned to Bamber.

Mr Turner sought to establish the police had actually taken Ms Mugford and her flatmate, Susan Batterby, to admit to bank managers they had committed bank fraud, in a bid to preserve her good name and make it look like an uncharacteristic act.

It was thought he may seek to bring Ms Mugford, now 37, to the witness stand yesterday to quiz her about this and also about claims she had actually sold her story to the News of the World for £25,000 before the trial and not afterwards.

But Mr Turner did not make an application to call her to the stand after discovering new information from an employee of News International that Ms Mugford's solicitor had contacted him to set up a contract was not relevant.

He told the appeal the point was not relevant in the end after discovering the call from the solicitor must have come after the trial.

In a statement taken this year, Ms Mugford said she had gone to the papers on advice from the solicitor, who had told her the only way to stop them contacting her would be to establish a contract with one of them

Victor Temple QC, for the crown, said there was no real evidence of any improper activity by the police.

Lord Justice Kay, Mr Justice Wright and Mr Justice Henriques released Ms Mugford, who is thought to be flying back to Canada this weekend.

The appeal continues

Published Friday October 25, 2002

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