Beasts on Bail

News of the World probe into real cost of 'soft justice'

By Robbie Collin and Matthew Davies

BRITAIN'S soft justice system is costing more than 100 lives a year as crime suspects are set free—and go on to kill while on bail.

Last year more than ONE IN FIVE of those charged with murder were alleged to have committed the offence while on bail, the News of the World can reveal.

We have obtained figures under the Freedom of Information Act which show that in 2007 bail bandits were accused in 79 out of 462 murder cases.

If the forces which failed to provide figures followed a similar pattern, it means that someone is killed by a bailed crime suspect at least twice a week.

A senior cop said: "The whole system is a joke. We arrest people on suspicion of often serious offences, only for them to be freed to kill while awaiting trial."

Tighter

And Shadow Justice Secretary Nick Herbert said: "These shocking figures underline the need for tighter bail laws. Public safety must come first."

Last week a court heard how pub landlord Steven Galsworthy, 41, was stabbed to death in Bournemouth by a thug on bail.

Garry Varley, 39, had been charged with assaulting and threatening to kill Steven and released just a few hours before the murder.

In January, Metropolitan police officer Garry Weddell, 47, gunned down his mother-in-law Traute Maxfield, 70, and then committed suicide while waiting to be tried for the murder of his wife Sandra, 44.

And last summer dad-of-three Garry Newlove, 47, was kicked to death outside his home in Warrington, Cheshire. Killer Adam Swellings, 19, had been freed from custody earlier that day.

In one county just under HALF of all those charged with murder in 2007 were people on bail. In eight out of AVON & SOMERSET's 17 murder cases the accused were bailed crime suspects. Three were on police bail, three on court bail and two on court AND police bail.

Britain's biggest police force— LONDON'S MET—was unable to say how many of its 182 murder charges were against bailed suspects.

HAMPSHIRE, HERTFORDSHIRE, CAMBRIDGE, KENT, LANCASHIRE, SOUTH WALES and THAMES VALLEY forces also had no details of how many alleged killers were accused of committing their crimes while on bail.

MERSEYSIDE, ESSEX, NORTH WALES, NORTHUMBRIA, WEST YORKSHIRE and WILTSHIRE failed even to give information on the number of murder charges brought. But 34 forces in England, Scotland and Wales did provide statistics.

In STRATHCLYDE, 30 of the 85 murder charges were against people on bail.

Cheats

In WEST MIDLANDS, six of the 40 murder suspects were on bail.

Mothers Against Murders And Aggression campaigner Dee Edwards said: "Sadly I can't say I'm surprised by these figures, given this government's poor track record. Our prisons are overcrowded because we are locking up pensioners for not paying council tax and benefit cheats—people who should be doing community service."

Police Federation vice chairman Alan Gordon said: "There are systemic failures in the judicial and sentencing process that need to be urgently addressed.

"The government must not allow a lack of prison places to dictate safety on the streets."