Top police officer won't face botched case action over Kevin Nunes murder
A top police officer should face no disciplinary action over her role in the botched Kevin Nunes murder investigation, the police commissioner has ruled.
Jane Sawyers, temporary Chief Constable at Staffordshire Police, was thesuperintendent in charge of professional standards at the time of the Nunes investigation.
It eventually saw five men convicted of the 20-year-old's murder on the Shropshire border later released from prison in 2008 after a series of police failings were revealed.
Now, Staffordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis has told the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) Mrs Sawyers should not face misconduct or gross misconduct charges. But he admitted there are things she could have done better during the original murder investigation.
Mr Ellis said: "My conclusion is that, whilst there were undoubtedly different actions and decisions that should have been taken at the time, the IPCC report does not produce evidence that Mrs Sawyers has a case to answer in respect of misconduct or gross misconduct.
"I have been clear, however, in my letter to the IPCC that Jane Sawyers could have been more intrusive and sceptical about the actions of others at the time. But in the climate and culture of the times 10 years ago, there is no evidence that there was such a breach of professional behaviour to justify a conclusion of gross misconduct or misconduct."
There has been a four-year investigation into the conduct of 14 police officers, including three current chief constables. None of them will face criminal prosecution.
It is understood the IPCC is just waiting for West Midlands Police to make its recommendation before deciding the final fate of the serving officers, including Mrs Sawyers.
Amateur footballer Kevin Nunes was found dead in a country lane in Pattingham in 2002.
After an extensive investigation, Levi Walker, from Birmingham, Adam Joof, from Willenhall, Owen Crooks and Michael Osbourne, both of Wolverhampton, and Antonio Christie, of Great Bridge, were jailed for the murder in 2008. But in 2012 all men were released after the convictions were quashed after they were deemed 'unsafe'.
It was previously revealed that Detective Inspector Joe Anderson turned whistleblower and reported there was "corruption, falsification and dishonesty" in the Staffordshire Police Sensitive Policing Unit which handled parts of the Nunes investigation. A damning report that revealed a key prosecution witness Simeon Taylor was "unreliable" was suppressed during the court case.
