A cursory glance at the calendar and I note that it is, perhaps, time to move on from the Daniel Morgan murder (apart from tying up some remaining loose ends). Just finished “A different class of murder” by Laura Thompson and a few observations spring to mind.
Page 231 ” Close by was the Duke of Wellington pub where the police spent much of their time”. Ranson, who was investigating the murder of the Lucan nanny, Sandra Rivett, noted the close connection between media and police. As with Daniel Morgan, a certain line is spun to the detriment of other motives.
Page 323 ” Prejudice has its own logic against which no argument is possible”. Jonathan Rees and the Vian brothers were early scapegoats – just as the Metropolitan Police did not look further than Lucan as the culprit. With both cases it is only DNA that can provide a conclusive answer, either Z31 (ex P.C Fintan Creaven) killed Morgan, or he did not. The delay in publishing the results raises questions in itself, as does the delay in giving adequate compensation to Jonathan Rees et al.
On an aside, dealing with delays and a different murder – that of Stephen Lawrence – why are the CPS and NCA so slow regarding a verdict on Bulloch, Crampton, Isley and Weeden? Are MI5/6 playing silly buggers?
Finally, the “South Wales Argus” had an article on a century of unsolved murders and alluded to Morgan. Errors? He was born in Singapore, not Cwmbran. Also, glaringly, he was not “looking at police corruption” when killed, that theory dates only from 2003. It has much to do with media and police connections, from useful idiots such as “Bellingcat” to Channel 4. Most plausible motive for Morgan? Either adultery (he was a noted cuckold) or the Bonnici drugs cartel, Gozo.
Ciaran Goggins 