Cardiff Five report ‘critical of lawyers’

A report into the collapse of the country’s biggest ever police corruption case is to be handed to the director of public prosecutions this week.

It follows a 16-month inquiry by the Crown Prosecution Service inspectorate into failures of disclosure which led to the aborted trials of 12 south Wales police officers on charges of fabricating evidence and serious misconduct.

The DPP Keir Starmer, when ordering the review at the beginning of last year, said he was “extremely concerned”.

The case is estimated to have cost close to £10m in legal fees alone.

‘Maxwell’ letters

Channel 4 News understands that an undisclosed number of lawyers are facing serious criticism and have been served with what are termed “Maxwell” letters to allow them to respond before the report is completed.

The 12 former police officers had all been involved in the investigation into the murder of prostitute Lynette White in Cardiff 25 years ago. It led to the wrongful convictions of five men, who became known as the Cardiff Five.

DNA evidence eventually led to the real killer, lone security guard Jeffrey Gafoor. He admitted the murder in 2003 and was sentenced to life imprisonment.

The surviving victims of this miscarriage of justice are taking legal action against the Home Secretary to get a public inquiry.