Shropshire detectives commended for murder investigation
Four detectives have been commended for their work during a police investigation into the violent murder of a Shropshire woman.
The four officers - Detective Sergeant Jon Matthews, Detective Sergeant Allan Crossley, Detective Constable Della Grice and Detective Constable Lee Holehouse -had lead roles in bringing her killer to court.
Steven Churchill, 52, was jailed for life at Stafford Crown Court last November after admitting murdering Jane Edwards at her home in Hanwood, near Shrewsbury on December 14, 2010. The court heard how he stabbed her repeatedly during a frenzied attack.
Churchill, who had attacked and killed his own sister 25 years earlier, was ordered to serve a minimum of 26 years in prison.
DS Matthews is commended for "leadership and professionalism in co-ordinating the response to three suspicious death investigations within a 24-hour period, including the arrest of two murder suspects."
DS Crossley and DC Holehouse are commended for "tenacity and detective ability in the successful pursuit of complex expert evidence resulting in the offender entering a guilty plea to murder rather than manslaughter by diminished responsibility."
DC Grice is commended for "professionalism and detective ability in establishing the identity of the suspect and locating him within hours of the offence taking place."
All four have been awarded Superintendent's Commendations.
The senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Steve Tonks, in recommending the awards, praised the officers actions.
He said DS Matthews, who was Acting Detective Inspector and on-call at the time, had organised the initial responses to three deaths within 24 hours, including two murder inquiries. "This work reflected positive and decisive leadership at an extremely critical time."
His responsibilities included organising scene cordons and guards, attending a post mortem, speaking to victim's relatives, suspect management, initiating various actions involving forensic work and witnesses, and conducting briefings.
DC Grice was recalled to duty to assist with the Hanwood murder and her expertise in telecommunications data and intelligence was instrumental in the suspect being quickly arrested. Through her work, a telephone number belonging to Churchill was identified as well as a number for a taxi company which attended the address. She also identified his current address.
DI Tonks said: "At the time of DC Grice's arrival at the police station, the only established information was the sighting of a man at the victim's flat. There is no doubt that through her work, Churchill was arrested within 12 hours of police attending the scene."
He said that on completion of the investigation, DC Grice had created a training package as part of the communications data training for other officers which has received excellent feedback.
DS Crossley initially took the role of suspect interview co-ordinator and DC Holehouse was the Officer in the Case throughout the investigation.
DI Tonks said that in the early stages, the defendant maintained his actions were the result of his schizophrenia and stopping taking medication and it appeared the case would be resolved by a guilty plea to manslaughter through diminished responsibility.
But DS Crossley and DC Holehouse believed Churchill was being manipulative and seeking a return to a secure hospital. "They researched his previous medical records and hospital notes, spoke repeatedly to the Crown Prosecution Service and various expert witnesses to gain a thorough understanding of his previous detention in hospital as well as newer legislation which redefined the legal term ‘diminished responsibility'."
DI Tonks added: "This was a process that took several months of detailed and painstaking work leading to the decision not to accept Churchill's plea to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
"It is clear that the work of DS Crossley and DC Holehouse left him no option but to plead guilty to murder which he did on the first day of the trial."
