Jeremy Bamber
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Jeremy Bamber is one of the UK's most high-profile mass murderers, almost as much for remaining in the news on a regular basis since his conviction as for the shocking crimes he committed.
Bamber was 25 when he was given five life sentences in 1986 for shooting dead his adoptive parents, sister and twin six year old nephews at the family farmhouse in Tolleshunt D'Arcy, Essex, the previous year.
The court was told that Bamber shot his family and then placed the rifle in his sister's hands in order to make her appear as the person who carried out the killings and then turned the gun on herself. The police initially believed her sister, Sheila Caffell, was the killer because she was a known paranoid schizophrenic and had not been taking her medication.
Bamber, who lived in a nearby house, was then placed under suspicion after his own prints were found on the gun and his girlfriend admitted to police that he had talked about killing his parents in the past.
It was argued by the prosecution, and accepted by the jury, that Bamber killed his whole family in order to claim an inheritance of almost £500,000.
His girlfriend, Julie Mugford, who was seen comforting Bamber at the mass funeral of all five relatives, told the court that her boyfriend had talked in the past about killing his parents.
Bamber was told by his trial judge, Mr. Justice Drake, that he was "warped and evil" and added that he found it difficult to imagine anyone agreeing to release Bamber from jail in the future. He has been told by each Home Secretary since his conviction that he will never gain his freedom through parole, although Bamber has always pleaded his innocence and has seen two appeals against his convictions rejected.
Bamber continues to pursue and offer rewards for fresh evidence which will ensure that his convictions are overturned, which remains a great source of anger to his remaining family.
In light of new evidence and inconsistencies in the original trial evidence, Bamber's cause has been taken up by, among others, Andrew Hunter, who was the MP for Basingstoke until the 2005 general election and the crime writer Scott Lomax - see link below for article published on the website of the Libertarian Alliance.
In 2004, Bamber was rushed to a hospital after he was attacked by another inmate while making a telephone call from Full Sutton Prison, near York, where he was serving his sentence. He suffered deep cuts to his neck but made a full recovery.
External links
- Jeremy Bamber's official website (http://www.jeremybamber.com)
- Article by Scott Lomax (http://www.libertarian.co.uk/lapubs/legan/legan042.htm)