In the early hours of Saint Valentine's Day 1988 Lynette White, age 20, was horrifically murdered in Cardiff. South Wales police issued photofits of two white men but never traced them. Ten months later, ignoring a stronger case against a white paedophile, the police arrested five black men. None of the forensic evidence found in the murder flat related them to the flat or victim. The longest trial in British history ended, despite no credible evidence, with three men convicted on unlawful verdicts.

On December 10th 1992 The Court of Appeal quashed The Cardiff Three's convictions. South Wales police announced that they would not be re-opening the case unless new evidence was obtained. In October 1995 the author provided new evidence to the Home Office who sent the findings to the South Wales police which subsequently re-opened the case. More sophisticated DNA tests were carried out but the police missed opportunities afforded to them by the internationally renowned expert in DNA, Professor Bernd Brinkman. Consequently the killer is still to be brought to justice.

 

This book outlines the story of the Lynette White Inquiry. It shows how an appalling case slipped through all the safety nets. Five men spent a total of 16 years in prison for a crime they did not commit. It also details the progress of the re-opened inquiry showing mistakes that may result in a particularly brutal killer remaining at liberty, perhaps to kill again.

FITTED IN
The Cardiff 3 and the Lynette White Inquiry
Written by Satish Sekar
Forewords by Michael Mansfield QC and Gareth Peirce
Preface by Paul Foot
294 pages.
ISBN 0 9527 3250 5