The Pembrokeshire Murders: Catching the Bullseye Killer

by Steve Wilkins

  The Gold Group meeting of 28 August 2008 was a sobering one. I had now spent almost £400,000 on forensics with little to show for it. DCC Andy Edwards was very supportive and whilst we had a clear investigative strategy he knew that we could not cut corners or fall short. Superintendent Euros Lewis was looking after the impact the investigation might be having on the community and he was police representative on the multi-agency group that was monitoring Cooper’s movement towards parole. “Euros, update please,” said Andy Edwards. “Yes sir, Cooper will be released on 19 September 2008, and he is likely to spend the first three months in a hostel in Swansea before being integrated into the family home”. Those words made my blood run cold. Cooper was coming out and soon! His wife Pat had now moved to Letterston, a small village outside Haverfordwest, and it was likely that Cooper would be living with her full time by December 2008. This created another problem, because of the considerable resources that would be needed to manage and monitor Cooper in the community. This was a man who I believed had murdered at least four people, held five children at gun point before raping one of them and indecently assaulting another, and he was about to be living in a sleepy Pembrokeshire village.

  I needed to consider tactical options such as surveillance. We already knew from intelligence that he suspected that we would bug his house for any incriminating conversations he might have with his wife. It was hard to imagine putting officers into fields in a rural location when we knew that Cooper liked to roam the countryside with a loaded gun, which he was prepared to use. All of these issues were flashing through my head and I was nowhere near being able to arrest and charge him. It wasn’t getting any easier. On his release Cooper’s control measures would be strict: there was a curfew at the hostel between 8 p.m. and 9.30 a.m. with an alcohol ban. He would have to report to the hostel every two hours; he could not visit Pat at the Letterston address and he could not contact his son Adrian. He had also been assessed by the Prison Service as high risk to the public with a medium risk of re-offending.

  As forecast, September came and John Cooper was released to the hostel in Swansea. He had been a model prisoner during his time inside and he knew that in the early stages he had to be squeaky clean before he would be allowed to go back to Pembrokeshire. The risk management plan was detailed and flawless. There were nine people assessed as being at serious risk, they included two police officers, Steve Matchett and Jim Morris. Both had played a leading role in his Huntsman convictions and Cooper had never forgiven them. His son Adrian Cooper was also named on the at risk list.

  The time had now come for us to meet Gerard Elias QC and off I went with Lynne and Glyn to his chambers at Park Place in Cardiff to present our skeleton case. We were taken to a top floor room which was dominated by a large wooden table. The walls were covered in photographs of members of the Chambers at very formal functions. Mr Elias was a large strong-looking man with a good head of silver grey hair. He looked every inch the part. I have always found top lawyers and QCs to be engaging people with a keen sense of humour and Mr Elias was no exception. He was very quietly spoken with an air of confidence, the result of being a very successful man. He was an instant hit with the team. Glyn, as normal, was the technical genius and operated the presentation, to which I talked for some two hours. Mr Elias said very little but listened intently. Tom Atherton represented the CPS, and at various stages interjected to support the team; he was now firmly in our camp. At the end Mr Elias looked at me and said, “Mr Wilkins, what evidence have you actually got?” I launched into my bad character and circumstantial evidence and anything I could think of. “No Mr Wilkins, what usable evidence have you got that John Cooper is responsible?” “Not a lot,” I admitted. “No, quite,” he replied. “Anyway have you got time for a beer before you go?” he asked. It was now after 10 p.m. and we had a two-hour journey ahead, but I felt he wanted to speak to me. We walked to a local watering hole and stood at the bar. “A fascinating case Mr Wilkins, Tom is very excited about it. If I can get it before a jury I think we have a chance but the severance argument will be difficult to challenge. If you get some forensic evidence, it will be an overwhelming case and I really want to do it.” I could see a twinkle in his eye, this was a man who had prosecuted over two hundred murder cases and was involved in the Bloody Sunday Inquiry, and I could see he was up for this. The journey back to Pembrokeshire with Lynne and Glyn was filled with optimism: we knew we had a class act to represent the Crown.

  At this stage the bad character evidence was vital, to keep all of the offences together. If we managed to do this, then we could include all of the linking circumstantial evidence, which I believed would be compelling for any jury. Of course any competent defence lawyer would argue that the Crown had not proved that the offences were linked and that they should be heard separately, thus severing the indictment and significantly weakening the case. It was vital that I worked to ensure that the cases were kept together. The bad character evidence would be subject to a separate application before the trial judge to agree what was admissible through the recognised gateways. The question of severance would also be addressed before we even got to trial and that was still far from certain. There were very many bridges to cross but I was careful not to show the team that I was concerned about our position.

  Back in Pembrokeshire, I was getting the distinct impression from the Crown team that they were looking to drop the Milford Haven offence, whether or not we secured any forensic links, to concentrate on the murders. I had made my position quite clear and perhaps more importantly I had already spoken to the victims from the Milford Haven offence and re-opened old wounds. They were aware that we were reviewing the offence, but at this stage not the full extent of the investigation. Many years had passed and to a certain extent some of them had tried to move on, but they all, without exception, carried the deep scars of that terrible night in 1996. None of them was in a stable relationship. It was very, very sad and I did not want to let them down again. We needed the Crown to understand that this case was not just about bringing justice for the dead but also for the victims still alive.

  Weeks later we met Mr Elias and Tom Atherton at Haverfordwest Police Station and then went out to Little Haven. We parked at Howelston Caravan Park and walked the route taken by Peter and Gwenda Dixon on that fateful morning in 1989. We scrambled along the coastal path every so often catching a glimpse of Talbeny Church that stood on top of a hill overlooking the bay. We knew that the hedge line leading down from the church cut into the coastal path directly above the hidden plateau where the Dixons had been killed. On reaching this point we negotiated the steep drop to the scene. Attached to a tree was a weather worn plaque, a tribute from a loving family to their mother and father. Gerard Elias surveyed the scene. “This is not what I expected. This isn’t some city villain who has stumbled on his victims. And it’s a local man and someone who knows the area and the potential for victims.” It was music to my ears. From there we went to Scoveston Park and walked up to the majestic old house. Outside it was almost the same, although inside extensive renovations had taken place. The outbuildings, where Richard was attacked had been converted into a holiday let, but could still be identified from the original plans and photographs. The garage at the rear of the house that had contained Richard’s Rover car was still intact. The hedges leading from Scoveston Park towards Scoveston Fort, where hoards of jewellery had been recovered, were easy to pick out. From here we went to the location of the Milford Haven attack at the rear of the Mount Estate. We walked across the field to the location where the masked gunman first confronted the children. From this spot we could see the small wooded area that hid Scoveston Park. For a few moments we stood and briefed Mr Elias on the similarities between the Dixons attack and this offence. The young victims had described the gun down to the smallest detail; double-barrelled, side-by-side and sawn-off. The boys who were into hunting knew their guns; they detailed the lanyard and how it was connected to a metal clip attached to barrel and st
ock. It was like they were describing the Sardis gun, which Cooper had been so concerned about in his interviews. Gerard Elias looked at me and nodded as we walked away together and whispered, “The jury visit will be very important to show the connectivity between the locations and the local element.” I could barely contain myself, he was miles ahead in his thinking and the attack on the children was very much part of his plan. As we travelled back to the police station, Mr Elias reinforced the need to identify any other potential suspects in the system that had a similar bad character profile; this was now my priority.

  On 2 September 2008 I discussed this action with Lynne and Glyn and tasked the team with identifying suspects and people of interest from both double murders and the Milford Haven attack. It was clear that there would be a considerable number of individuals who I would need to review in order to be able to give Gerard Elias the answer to his question. The Ottawa team collated the various lists and in the end there were over one thousand five hundred names. Each person was placed on a master spreadsheet which detailed their connection to the investigation and hyperlinks to their original documentation. Using strict criteria and cross-checking we were able to reduce the list dramatically. After weeks of hard work I would be left with nine men who could not be eliminated from all three offences. The linking process had given me additional elimination criteria of ‘non-availability to commit all three offences’. When assessing the remaining nine there was nothing in their bad character that came close to Cooper. I could now confidently tell Tom Atherton and Gerard Elias QC that there was no-one else in the system that was another John William Cooper.

  The time had now come to brief Detective Chief Superintendent Dai Davies (fondly known as D.M. Davies), Detective Chief Superintendent Clive Jones and Detective Superintendent Aldwyn Jones, the men who had led the original investigations. They had all retired, but I needed them to know that Cooper was the prime suspect. I wanted to tell them that I was pushing hard for the CPS to take on a bad character case as a worst case scenario but we were still hoping for a forensic breakthrough. I also wanted to explore with them some of their decisions and gauge their gut feeling. On a bright winter’s day, with Lynne Harries, I visited D.M. Davies at his home in Llanelli; also present was his Deputy SIO Derek Davies and Don Evans. Don had been the Divisional Commander in Pembrokeshire at the time of both double murders and one of the first people at both scenes. I had known Don for some years, he was a gentleman and we got on well. Derek Davies was an absolute character, full of fun and a man I would love to share some old stories with over a pint. Unfortunately D.M. Davies was not in the best of health and was confined to a wheelchair, but he was as sharp as a razor, with a fantastic memory. We talked for hours about the Scoveston Park and Ottawa investigations. I was overcome with the genuine support from all three men and how excited they were that we were fully committed to detecting the crimes. It was clear that D.M. Davies was never convinced by the theory that Richard Thomas had been killed by a gay lover and he was relieved when I was able to tell him that the new forensic evidence dispelled the theory. It was fascinating to listen to the three men recalling the investigation. We could have been back in an old-fashioned, smoke filled paper incident room, busy with the sound of indexers, talking about categories and interesting pieces of information. They were cops once again. It was a brilliant afternoon and we would do it again in the following months.

  Clive Jones had been the SIO for the Dixons murders, and was another larger than life character. We met at Police Headquarters in Carmarthen and once again it was fascinating to hear him recall the investigation. There were a number of things that struck me about the Dixons investigation. The enquiry had been hampered by newly delivered HOLMES computer system and the 1989 investigation was not officially linked to Scoveston Park case although both databases were being searched for possible links. Importantly for our case, Clive Jones was able to confirm that he had only released one artist’s impression of the man seen at the NatWest cash point in Haverfordwest. His rationale was sound, this was the only one he could be confident was the man using Peter Dixon’s cash card due to the timing of the transaction and an eyewitness account. Again I had his total support. In each case the foresight of these detectives to retain so much material had given the Ottawa team the opportunity to apply modern day science and investigative techniques.

  Aldwyn Jones had been the SIO on the Milford Haven attack and I knew him well. He had been my Detective Superintendent when I was a Detective Inspector. He was a lovely man and a very good cop. He was now retired and enjoying a new interest as a chef, and a very good one at that. Aldwyn was also a great host and when I went to see him at his house I was greeted by venison cooked in chocolate and some good red wine. The Milford attack had taken place when he was Deputy Head of CID and he was responsible for creating a great deal of the good practice and work ethic still evident in the CID today. His policy books and investigation plans were meticulous and it was easy to understand his lines of enquiry and the rationale behind them. He had also been in the Force at the time of the Sardis robbery and Operation Huntsman, and had clearly fancied Cooper for more serious crimes.

  Early in December 2008 the Forensic Management Group had considered the outcome of the meeting with LGC and decided to broaden submissions to include fibre evidence from the Sardis robbery, Cooper’s home environment and exhibits recovered during the Ottawa investigations. It was likely to be expensive, but totally necessary. The new submissions would include all items abandoned by Cooper as he fled the Sardis robbery, clothing and items touched by the offender in the murders and Milford Haven attack, as well gloves found at or near his house. Original fibre tapings and samples taken from the shed and workbench at Cooper’s home had been recovered from the FSS vaults and sent to LGC, it was now up to them to scrutinise the material.

  At the hostel in Swansea, Cooper was behaving impeccably, and he was ready to return to Letterston and his wife. As an operational SIO I provided an on-call service to the Force for major crime and other serious incidents. Over the years you become accustomed to the phone ringing at all hours of the day and night. As a rule I would keep an A4 jotting pad on the kitchen table and if the phone rang I normally asked them to call back in five minutes, whilst I went downstairs to clear my thoughts and avoid disturbing the rest of the house.

  It was 3.30 a.m. on a cold December morning in 2008 when the phone rang. “Hello boss, its control room.” Before I could say, “Give me five and phone back,” the voice continued, “John Cooper has phoned 999, and I think he has murdered his wife.” To this day I can remember the feeling of total horror. “You’re fucking joking,” was my less than professional response. He wasn’t joking, Pat Cooper was dead. Experience had taught that sometimes the information coming through the control room might not be wholly accurate because of the fast moving nature of a live crime scene. I would usually try calm things down and find out who was in control of the scene or situation and contact them directly to establish the facts.

  In this instance Detective Inspector Roland Powell was the local senior detective at the scene. Rolly was highly experienced and had hands-on knowledge of the community management plan for Cooper. An initial discussion with Rolly confirmed that we were a long way from establishing that John Cooper had murdered his wife but it was still a highly significant situation. It has been the first day of his staggered return to the family home and the first time he had been allowed to stay overnight. The account was straightforward: Pat Cooper was lying at the side of the bed; there were no signs of violence to the body or any disturbance in the house. John Cooper had told the paramedics that they had eaten a meal and then had taken a bath together before going to bed and making love. During the night he had heard his wife gasping for breath and after a failed attempt to help her he phoned 999 for assistance. What I did not need at this stage was an overreaction just because it was Cooper. It was important now that the officers at the scene handled the situation with compassion. At th
e same time I wanted to ensure that any potential evidence was secured should events take a more sinister turn. Cooper agreed to leave the house and stay with his brother. I needed a post-mortem examination and fast. Not surprisingly I had little problem in securing the services of a Home Office pathologist following a discussion with the local Coroner. The pathologist was Dr Stephen Leadbeater, who I knew very well having dealt with him over the years. Stephen was an excellent pathologist, very deliberate in his manner and speech and not someone you could hurry along, although on this occasion he knew the background and was prepared to move quickly. I met him at Haverfordwest Police Station and briefed him on the circumstances. “Stephen, please do not come back with ‘inconclusive’. I need to know, has he killed her or not?” He looked at me and replied, “Mr Wilkins, I will do my very best within the capabilities of modern day forensic pathology. Now let me get on.” Later the same day I received a call from Dr Leadbeater. We had already established that there had been a history of chronic heart disease in Pat’s family, resulting in early death. Dr Leadbeater described how her heart was very swollen and contained three conditions that could have resulted in her death; and most importantly she had not died a violent death. The PM results were inconclusive about whether they had had sex in the hours before she died. My personal view, not in any medical books, is that Pat Cooper gave up and could not face living with this man again. During the Huntsman investigation she had indicated that she had suffered a life of physical and mental abuse. Following her death another member of her family told my team that my scenario was true. Pat was dreading him returning home but unfortunately she was too frightened to tell anyone.