INDEPENDENT NEWS

Police must step back from Arthur Allan Thomas case

Published: Sat 31 Aug 2013 03:26 PM
Police must step back from Arthur Allan Thomas case
News that police have been interviewing Arthur Allan Thomas and his family over alibis for the 1970 Crewe murders is an outrage and shows contempt for the judicial processes that exonerated him more than 30 years ago, say Labour MPs Andrew Little and Kris Faafoi.
News today states that police have been interviewing Mr Thomas, including seizing a firearm, in relation to the Crewe murders. This followed an undertaking by the police three years ago to "review and analyse" the file after a call from the Crewes' surviving daughter, Rochelle.
"Assistant Police Commissioner Malcolm Burgess’ description of Bruce Hutton as a person of integrity, and now their interviewing of Arthur Thomas, suggests the police have never accepted they got it wrong," Labour's Police spokesperson Kris Faafoi says.
"Clearly interviewing Mr Thomas and his family goes well beyond a review of the file. It suggests police have other intentions."
Labour's Justice spokesperson Andrew Little said the police should not be investigating Arthur Allan Thomas any more.
"The police cannot bring an unbiased and disinterested view to this case any more and should not be involved in it.
"This is yet another reason why we need a truly independent body such as a Criminal Cases Review Commission to handle cases like this,” Andrew Little said.
ends

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