Kevin Nunes scandal: Family break five-year silence and criticise delays
The family of murdered Kevin Nunes today broke their five-year silence to condemn the 'devastating' delay in getting answers to how police botched the probe into the footballer's brutal killing.
The police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), has taken nearly three years to publish its full report into the scandal which saw five men have murder convictions overturned amid wrongdoing by detectives.
In a statement, the family said: "For five years we have respectfully kept silent and made no public comment on Kevin's case to let the authorities, particularly the Independent Police Complaints Commission, do their job.
"During that time we believed they would do what was right and trusted them to uncover what went so disastrously wrong, and take appropriate action if necessary.
"But with the latest series of delays, and repeated broken promises of when those findings would be revealed, we have lost all confidence in the IPCC.
"Five years on from the Court of Appeal overturning the murder convictions in the case – and nearly 15 years on from Kevin's murder – we as a family are still without answers.
"This has had a devastating effect on the family and we are appalled by the way we have been treated by all parties.
"We have been left to suffer while those in positions of power have never been held to account.
"A lot of the details of the report will not be published. What hope do we have of ever getting closure?"
The Express & Star today also publishes an exclusive video outlining the shocking case:
Five Black Country men who were jailed for the 2002 gangland slaying in a Staffordshire country lane had their convictions quashed by the Court of Appeal in 2012.
Serious failings that undermined the credibility of the prosecution's key witness and the conduct of detectives were revealed – including officers going drinking with the witness, covering up wrongdoing by the witness, and one detective had an affair with a colleague at the witness's 'safe house'.
It sparked a huge inquiry by the IPCC with 14 former and serving Staffordshire Police officers under investigation – including three Chief Constables and an Assistant Chief Constable – but ultimately led to no criminal charges and just one junior officer facing 'management advice'.
Senior officers who were investigated included recently retired Staffordshire Chief Constable Jane Sawyers, ex-Northamptonshire Chief Constable Adrian Lee, former Gloucestershire Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, and West Midlands Assistant Chief Constable Marcus Beale.
The inquiry – known as Operation Kalmia – outlining what went wrong and who was accountable was concluded in November 2014. But its full investigatory report has never been published.
The report is believed to be highly-critical of the senior officers and recommended they face misconduct hearings.
But this action was challenged by the Police and Crime Commissioners of Staffordshire, Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire, and the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police.
The IPCC decided against overruling the commissioners.
The watchdog said it hopes to publish the report 'as soon as possible' – but it is expected to be heavily redacted.
There has been widespread criticism of the amount of time it has taken to publish the report.
Kevin Nunes, from Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, was pistol-whipped and shot five times in Clive Road, Pattingham, on September 19, 2002.
He had been a promising footballer, having been on the books of Tottenham Hotspur and then Stafford Rangers.
An IPCC spokesman said: “The IPCC is currently considering representations from interested parties and will publish the Operation Kalmia report as soon as possible.”
