It doesn't even sound true.". He then asked Steve if he wanted "to go for another", which was, unknown to Steve at the time, a reference to Becky. But, during his arrest, Halliwell also told Fulcher about another killing he had carried out - and offered to show him the body. After all, couldnt he have just picked up and dropped her off as he did with paying fares dozens of times every day? A Confession follows Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher as he and his team investigate the disappearance and murder of Sian OCallaghan who was killed in March 2011. During the investigation, a complaint was made against him by Becky's father John, which resulted in a disciplinary hearing. Halliwell was arrested at an Asda supermarket in North Swindon and charged with kidnapping, not murder. In January 2014, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) found Fulcher guilty of gross misconduct for breaches of PACE and ignoring force orders. His admission took police to the remains of Becky Godden, 20, who had disappeared from the same town in 2003. He knew that Sian was dead, which meant that his argument regarding preservation of life was no longer relevant. He tells Tim Lewis why hed do it again. Martin Freeman played Detective Steve Fulcher (Image: ITV) Elaine O'Callaghan Halliwell had pleaded guilty to the murder Sian O'Callaghan on October 19, 2012. Fulcher makes use of any and all means to assure that the suspected killer, taxi driver Christopher Halliwell, faced the justice he deserved for the murder of Sian OCallaghan and as it eventually emerges, another victim by the name of Becky Godden-Edwards. Steve knew that not reading the suspect his rights and denying him a lawyer was in breach of the rules, but he believed that preserving the victim's life outweighed that. Wed both put ourselves into a position where we were sacrificing our lives.. Why would we?'" So many times I had tried to fix Becky, and I couldnt. He has now returned to the public eye after throwing his support behind former colleague Mike Rees, 55, who is standing for the role of Police and Crime Commissioner in Wiltshire. Earlier this year, Karen was invited onto the set as filming got underway on an ITV drama based on the story of how Beckys killer was caught and the extraordinary legal saga that led to his conviction. By not taking Halliwell to the police station, cautioning and providing him access to a solicitor, he was in violation of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). An investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission in 2013 found the police officer had a case to answer for gross misconduct for ignoring force orders. A Confession on ITV: Who is Steve Fulcher? Karen searched, of course. "It is very unlikely that having killed Becky in 2003 and Sian in 2011 he committed no other offences in those eight years," he told Bradford Zone. We are talking about the Sweeney era when suspects would be put in rooms and doors were shut and confessions were beaten out of them, no one wants to go back to that for a second.. Judge Mrs Justice Fox has regarded the confession evidence as inadmissible as Fulcher had failed to caution Halliwell and denied him access to a solicitor at the time he had confessed. What happened to him? He never said: Right Im going to tell you exactly where she is and what Ive done, etc. That isnt how it worked. Sian was always the good girl in this story and we were kind of dismissed. Understandably, Karen is still furious that the efforts of the police in the years following the discovery of Beckys remains were focused on taking action against DS Fulcher, rather than making sure the killer was held to account. The manner in which Steve gained Halliwells confessions was brilliant detective work to some and 'arrogant and reckless' to others. Channel 4 During the investigation, a. Wednesday, 1st March 2023See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. But there were also dark times. he said. If Im right, he had a propensity for killing on average once a year, says Fulcher. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Sian's disappearance set in motion a series of events which ultimately led to the resignation of investigating officer Steve Fulcher. READ MORE:A Confession on ITV location: Where is A Confession filmed? The evidence was seen as inadmissible as Fulcher had failed to caution Halliwell and denied him access to a solicitor at the time he had confessed. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Ex-Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher's investigation into Sian O'Callaghan's killer cost him his job (Photo: unknown) By Akilah Russell September 23, 2018 6:02 pm (Updated October 9 . Steve was investigating the disappearance of Sian O'Callaghan, who vanished after leaving a Swindon nightclub on 20 March 2011. "It's about keeping the peace, preventing and detecting crime and protecting life and property. Jo Tweedy For Mailonline, Police officer involved in discredited Ted Heath paedophile inquiry retires on full pension despite facing misconduct probe, Police begin digging field close to where murdered mother-of-four Linda Razzell went missing 17 years ago. Pope said: I felt like the process which led to Fulcher being found guilty of gross misconduct was spiteful but I just felt 'was that the right way to deal with someone who acted in the way that he done?' DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK. Fulcher said of Rees: "He was willing to stand because he's spent his entire life working for Wiltshire Police. Judge Mrs Justice Cox ruled both of Halliwell's confessions were inadmissable as evidence because Fulcher had breached Police and Criminal Evidence Act guidelines by not cautioning the killer and giving him access to a solicitor. "It's one of the times I nearly broke a little bit, and you have to let happen whatever happens "It was Fulcher's fall from grace really that interested me. It's pretty easy to see this from his point of view. Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. Sian vanished as she walked home from a nightclub. READ MORE:A Confession on ITV: Who is Steve Fulcher? But DS Fulcher's actions cost him his career after he broke a key policing rule in his desperate bid to solve the case. Fulcher admits he was only seconds from giving up, but suddenly Halliwell cracked and offered to take him to where hed dumped Sians body. The manner in which Steve gained Halliwells confessions breached police procedure by failing to caution him and denying access to a solicitor. He brought Becky home if he hadnt done what he did, Halliwell would never have shown him where she was. Karen Edwards on Steve Fulcher. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Steve Fulcher, the detective who put Halliwell behind bars, says there could be dozens more victims, Sick cabbie Christopher Halliwell is serving life for murdering two women, Halliwell was convicted of killing Sian O'Callaghan, Taxi driver Christopher Halliwell guilty of Becky Godden murder, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). MARTIN FREEMAN STARS IN ITV DRAMA 'A CONFESSION; Steve Fulcher, played by Martin Freeman, lost his career after catching a serial killer, Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher resigned from Wiltshire Police in May 2014, Fulcher can be seen speaking to Halliwell in episode 3 of A Confession, Christopher Halliwell was found guilty of murder in 2016 and faces life in prison, Fulcher has been supported by the families of the victims, An investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission in 2013 found Fulcher had a case to answer for gross misconduct for ignoring force orders, Martin Freeman plays Fulcher in ITV series A Confession, Elaine Pickford, played by Sobhan Finneran, was grateful to DS Fulcher. I'm not a expert in Pace but I'm a person and I'm alive and I can't think of what else he should have done," he ruminated. It had a devastating effect on my family, as I was in a dark place for a long time, he admits. Was Ellie gay in The Last Of Us game? After tonight's episode, the entire series will be available to stream via the ITV Hub. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. The blunder saw Halliwell charged with the murder of 22-year-old Sian OCallaghan in May 2012 but not convicted for Becky's killing. As a result of being found guilty of gross misconduct in January 2014, Steve Fulcher was given a final written warning, which could have led to his dismissal if hed fallen foul of any more guidelines. When we meet for a hot dog and beer in London, I ask Fulcher if he had ever been professionally reprimanded before the Halliwell episode. What we do know, however, is that ITVs A Confession continues with the series third episode on September 16th at 9pm on ITV. However,. He says, I had people phoning me to offer me a job and when they do due diligence, which only consists of Googling me at the end of the day, not unreasonably they say: Look, Im sorry, but were not going to take this on. This, he felt, was the directive of Article 2 of the Human Rights Act: the victims life came first. She wasnt lying in a field, alone, forgotten. "If you are held in high esteem in your profession and people like you and you're always working and your reputation is very secure and sound, to lose that is a sort of hell.". With its microscopic analysis of a single crime, the book has the gripping allure of long-form podcasts, such as Serial. He told the Swindon Advertiser : "I dont currently think [Wiltshire Police is] delivering the best service it can deliver. A CONFESSION: Where was Sian OCallaghan found? He used to drive to work in a gunmetal grey Alfa Romeo Spider with a flashy red leather interior. What should have been a straightforward double murder investigation became much more complicated as the trial got underway. Its a decent point. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Back in June 2017, Steve was interviewed for The Guardian in a piece titled 'How I caught a serial killer and lost my career in the police'. He has since been, in his words, unemployable in the UK. Despite Fulchers questionable methods earning a confession from Halliwell, the Detective Superintendent was charged with gross misconduct for his actions which did not follow the prescribed guidelines. The ITV drama started on Monday, September 2, 2019. The manner in which their daughters disappearances were treated, however, could not have been more different. He then calmly offered information about 20-year-old Becky Godden, who had been missing since 2003. Not only did Fulcher manage to extract a confession for one murder, but Halliwell also admitted to killing Becky Godden-Edwards. Speaking to Chat magazine, Edwards said: 'Since the trial, our family has kept in touch with Steve Fulcher and his wife Yvonne. "You've got to go back to the basic role of a police officer. As a result of being found guilty of gross misconduct in January 2014, Steve Fulcher was given a final written warning, which could have led to his dismissal if he'd fallen foul of any more. I think my job is fairy stressful and I dont have to keep anyone alive so for people that are doing a life and death job, I dont know what the answer is but I think its definitely a shame and seemingly morally unjust that he lost his livelihood and his work here.. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. When a trio of chief constables met to decide his fate, they acknowledged: His record to date has been unblemished., Still, there is something raffish about Fulcher, who is now 50, that doesnt entirely fit with the picture of the by-the-book copper. Something went wrong, please try again later. 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