Why has it taken so long to get Damilola Taylors murderers?

Question

It was the 3rd trial.

Answer 1

The wheels of justice grind slow, but if they got the true killers then it's a job well done. Poor boy. What a sad waste of a lovely kid. It still makes my blood boil.

Answer 2

I'm not even sure they've got the right people now.

The police were under a massive amount of pressure to get a result on this murder. Then, on the second forensic examination, blood is miraculously found on the clothes that shows the defendants were at the scene. Why was this not found first time round?

A bit of a coincidence? Evidence tampering?

Also, someone already mentioned that the defendant adamantly denied the charges and fought guards on his way down to the cells after conviction. I know it could be an act but it adds more doubt in my mind.

I wasn't in court and that I don't know the full story but something just doesn't seem right there.

Answer 3

I think the main problem is that people protect their own family and friends, especially when the law is involved.

It just takes so long to get all the evidence for a watertight case, but like a lot of others, I think the electric chair would be more appropriate than prison.

Answer 4

The verdicts come after three high-profile trials and a long and difficult investigation by London police.
Four other youths were originally charged with Taylor's murder but were cleared at a trial in 2002 that collapsed after the judge dismissed the evidence of the key witness, a teenage girl known as "Bromley", who was labelled a fantasist by the defence.
The Preddie brothers, who had been on bail at the time of the killing, were amongst the first suspects to be arrested for the crime in the weeks after the attack but they were later released without charge.
MISSED FORENSIC EVIDENCE
They were only re-arrested after new forensic evidence came to light. Blood traces found on the suspects' clothing, had been missed at the time of the killing by the Home Office's Forensic Science Service.
Detective Superintendent Nick Ephgrave, who took over the running of the investigation at the end of the first trial, asked a different laboratory, run by private firm Forensic Alliance, to re-examine all the items in the case.
The lab found that a bloodstain on a shoe, easily visible to the human eye, had been missed along with blood drops and fibres on the suspects' other clothes.
The Preddie brothers were cleared of murdering Taylor by a jury in April, but a retrial was ordered after that jury failed to reach a verdict on the lesser, manslaughter charges.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Yates described the case as a "painful episode" for the Metropolitan Police.
The police investigation alone into the killing has cost almost 4 million pounds.
"It is important that the answers are found as to how this forensic evidence was missed," said Commander Dave Johnston, Head of Homicide and Serious Crime at the Metropolitan Police's Specialist Crimes Directorate.
"We are of course concerned that the new forensic evidence heard in this trial was not available for the first investigation and sympathise with the anguish that this may have caused to those affected," he said.
The government has ordered in independent inquiry into what went wrong.

Answer 5

Well, they are saying that there was a delay with the forensic evidence.
I always worry, though, when a convicted person professes their innocence - why would they do this, if they were guilty - they would have to really believe in their own innocence, surely?

See the latest BBC News Report:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/5252570.stm

Hope this helps:>)

Answer 6

i dont know, but i was just reading that in the news and that it cost 4 billion pounds to bring these toe rags to justice. And no doubt another four to house them in deluxe prison cells.
The question should be why are they getting sent to bloody prison when they should be getting hung.
And that this country spends four billion quid to catch a killer when that amount of money would ease poverty, poor education poor housing that contribute to children becoming both killers and victims of crime.

Answer 7

AND, who is to say they have the right kids now?

I think th epolice are so desperate to please the mother, that as usual, they are clutching at straws & making a big hash of it all.

What pathetic sentencing will they get? Nothing that replaces that poor boys life.

What is wrong with the children today?

Answer 8

because the same communities that cry out for justice clam up when the police ask for information.

its a very sad reflection on society ,murders like this.

Answer 9

Its about time, but this is what our system is like, losing evidence conveniently or not doing their jobs right

Answer 10

because they din't do their job properly