Senior detective may face misconduct charge

An investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) found that Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher had breached the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (Pace) and ignored orders from his own force during the inquiry into murder suspect Christopher Halliwell.

His handling of the investigation saw the 49-year-old taxi driver escape a murder charge, despite the father-of-three leading him to the spot where Rebecca Godden was buried.

The Wiltshire force said it had received the IPCC’s report and was “carefully considering” the recommendations made over Mr Fulcher’s handling of Operation Mayan – the investigation into the murders of Sian O’Callaghan and Miss Godden.

Halliwell was jailed for life last October after admitting murdering Miss O’Callaghan in Swindon.

Over a three-hour period Halliwell had confessed to murdering the 22-year-old officer and took Mr Fulcher to her shallow grave.

He then admitted that he had killed another woman and showed Mr Fulcher where prostitute Miss Godden was buried.

Under Pace rules, which govern the questioning of suspects, Halliwell should have been cautioned several times and both confessions were ruled inadmissible.