Senior officer expresses satisfaction following guilty pleas
Speaking late yesterday afternoon, Detective Chief Inspector Paul Williamson expressed his satisfaction after hearing Zena Tinsley, 28, plead guilty to murder, and both James Haigh, 31, and Melissa Parkes, 22, plead guilty of manslaughter, in relation to the death of 43-year-old Stephen Round in July last year.
All three defendants also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice at Shrewsbury Crown Court and are set to be sentenced early next month. All have been warned they face significant custodial sentences.
The body of Mr Round was found at a landfill site on Grange Lane near Granville Country Park at just before 11.30am on Friday 2nd July 2010.
The police investigation established that Mr Round was murdered in a flat on Church Street in St Georges on Sunday 27th June before his body was then placed in a wheelie bin that was emptied into the back of a refuse lorry several days later.
The body was then spotted by one of the refuse workers when it fell out of the back of the truck as the rubbish was tipped out at the landfill site.
Speaking about the conviction, DCI Williamson said: “I am satisfied with the outcome at court today and hope that these pleas act as some consolation to Mr Round’s family as they move forward.
“It still isn’t clear why Mr Round was killed by these three individuals and if the body had not been spotted by a refuse worker when it came of the truck we may never have found it, or established that he had been murdered. The body was actually found several days after Mr Round was murdered and his body was knowingly concealed by these individuals before they dumped it in the wheelie bin.
“Prior to the discovery of the body none of the offenders had come forward and it was only when news of the discovery reached the public domain, and detailed enquiries commenced in the Church Street area, that they did speak to the police.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many members of the public that took the time to come forward and offer information to my investigating team. Officers visited many local people throughout the full duration of the enquiry and a consistent theme was the overwhelming sense of support and assistance offered by every member of the public.
“In addition, I’d also like to place on record my thanks to the officers in the investigation team who worked tirelessly on this case over the past year. Whilst incidents of this nature remain extremely rare in Telford, I hope this conviction demonstrates that when they do occur, West Mercia Police are determined to catch those responsible to ensure that justice is done.”
