Chances to arrest post office killer 'missed'

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A convicted robber who murdered a sub-postmaster's son should have been arrested for earlier robberies, the police watchdog has said.

Craig Hodson-Walker, 29, was shot in the chest at Fairfield Post Office in Worcestershire on 9 January 2009.

Anselm Ribera had been linked to three previous robberies before the murder.

In a statement, West Mercia Police said the earlier robberies "could have been dealt with better". Three detectives face disciplinary action.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said Ribera, from Birmingham, had been linked through DNA evidence to two other robberies in north Worcestershire and was suspected of another.

These robberies took place in 2008 on 25 March, 9 May and 25 August.


ANALYSIS:
Peter Wilson, West Midlands Home Affairs Correspondent

Why did the police do nothing to arrest the gunman when they had his DNA?

It seems inexplicable.

The answer appears to be that the six officers directly involved were of junior rank, detective constables and sergeants led by an inspector

Some were under extreme pressure. One was taken off the robbery investigations to work on a serious rape case.

There was no review of what they were doing, no policy book, no plan of action, so nothing was done.

The saddest aspect of this case was the fact that the officers had decided to set up a dedicated anti robbery team to review the unsolved crimes in North Worcestershire during 2008.

It was due to begin work on 8 January 2009. The next day the gunman, Anselm Ribera stormed into the Fairfield Post Office and shot Craig Hodson-Walker dead.

Detectives were made aware in August 2008 through the national DNA database that Ribera's DNA was a match to evidence found at two of the robberies, the IPCC said.

His details were circulated on the Police National Computer, stating that he was wanted in connection with two robberies, and three days later he was identified by detectives as a suspect in the third raid.

But he was not arrested until 13 January 2009 when he was detained, along with others, on suspicion of Mr Hodson-Walker's murder.

IPCC Commissioner Len Jackson believes detectives should have made efforts to arrest Ribera before he carried out the Fairfield raid.

He said there were "clear failings" by individual detectives, but added that they were working under pressure of a heavy workload and at times without supervision.

"The investigation found the mistakes made by individuals were undoubtedly compounded by organisational weaknesses," Mr Jackson said.

"We have made a series of recommendations to West Mercia Police on improving supervision for detectives, on keeping intelligence up to date, and better recording decision-making."

Judith Hodson-Walker, Craig's mother: "It is human failings, but unfortunately it is police human failings"

He said it was "unclear" if officers had acted earlier whether Ribera would have been free to carry out the robbery in Fairfield.
The Crown Prosecution Service might have concluded there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Ribera for the earlier offences, he said.

West Mercia Police said the IPCC had recognised the scale of the demand placed on the force at that time, which had diverted some detectives away from their core roles.

Assistant Chief Constable Simon Chesterman said: "This does not excuse the unacceptable delay in submitting forensic samples for analysis or the fact that more should have been done to locate and arrest the suspect."

Mistakes were made which the force would learn from, he said.

Ribera, 34, and Christopher Morrissey, 32, from Birmingham, and Declan Morrissey, 34, of Solihull, were jailed in December 2009 for at least 34 years each for murder.

The three men were also given 34-year jail terms for attempting to murder Mr Hodson-Walker's father Ken, who was shot in the leg.

The sentences will run concurrently with their jail terms for murder.

A fourth defendant, getaway driver Adrian Snape, 25, of Small Heath, Birmingham, who admitted attempted robbery, was sentenced to eight years in prison.

In 2002 Ribera was convicted of robbery at a post office in Redditch Road, Kings Norton, Birmingham.