Mathers family 'unhappy' with HET

8 July 2011 Last updated at 08:20 GMT Joanne Mathers and her son Shane The DUP MP Gregory Campbell has said he has written to the Historical Enquiries Team, calling for a review into the investigation of the murder of Joanne Mathers in Londonderry in 1981.

The mother-of-one was shot dead by the IRA as she collected census forms.

Mr Campbell said her family are unhappy with how the investigation is being handled.

The HET said it does not comment on the specifics of individual cases.

It had launched a fresh investigation into the killing in March after Lowry Mathers made a public appeal for his wife's case to be reopened.

Mr Campbell said the family had asked him to write to the HET to express their concerns.

"The HET had several meetings with the family and they put forward a series of questions, hoping to get some clarification," he said.

"They wanted to know if there was any attempt to get exhibits from the time of the shooting.

"They wanted to know were certain people questioned. The answer was no.

"The family said they would be prepared to go on a public platform and appeal for information, they were told 'we don't do that'.

"It was a very negative approach on all fronts."

Mr Campbell said the family also want the HET to ask Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness if he has knowledge that could help identify her killers.

The HET said it works with families on a confidential basis and at the conclusion of the review process, provides a comprehensive report detailing its findings.

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Royal Family facing funding cuts

1 July 2011 Last updated at 01:05 GMT MPs have been discussing the amount that the Royal Family should receive in funding Reforms to the Royal Family's finances that could lead to a cut in their budget have been approved by MPs.

Chancellor George Osborne has outlined plans for a new Sovereign Grant, which would see the amount of funding for the Royal Household's public duties lowered by 9% in real terms by 2015.

Legislation setting out the changes in detail will now go through Parliament after MPs approved the proposals.

Mr Osborne said the Royal Family will "do as well as the economy is doing".

He told the House of Commons that his new proposal meant that the amount of money going to the Queen would now be linked to the performance of the economy.

The grant would replace three different payments - from the Treasury, the Department for Transport and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

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When I see the coronation coach being pulled through the streets of London, I want to see it pulled by the finest horses money can buy”

End Quote Jacob Rees-Mogg Conservative MP "The new Sovereign Grant balances the public interest that our Queen is properly funded to carry out her official duties and the completely legitimate interest of the taxpayer in proper accountability and value for money," the chancellor said.

"We will see how the Crown Estate performs but the current estimate is that the formula means that, by 2014/15, the last full year of this Parliament, the monarch will receive around ?35 million.

"In cash terms that is broadly in line with what they had spent in recent years, in real terms it is around a 9% cut over the Parliament. This is a big and historic extension to parliamentary scrutiny and I would like to thank Her Majesty for opening up the books."

Coronation coach

The grant would be based on the performance of the Crown Estate from two years earlier - so that the expected 2013/14 grant of about ?34 million would represent 15% of the 2011/12 profits.

Under a settlement with King George III in 1760, profits from the monarchy's ?6.7 billion Crown Estate properties go to the Treasury while the monarch receives a fixed annual payment.

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Commons that the Queen should not be left short.

"I urge the chancellor, even in this time of austerity, when I know we are all in it together, and I know the Opposition spent all the money, and they maxed out the credit card, and all of that, but I think we should look after Her Majesty.

"When I see the coronation coach being pulled through the streets of London, I want to see it pulled by the finest horses money can buy. I want to see it gilded with the finest gold that can be bought."

Labour's Paul Flynn called for the funding to be linked to the state pension or inflation.

He added: "We must apply the same financial discipline as we apply to the poorest in society to those who are in the Royal Family."

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Cooper police contact new family

27 May 2011 Last updated at 17:48 GMT Cooper's victims: Peter and Gwenda Dixon [both left] and Richard and Helen Thomas in the 1980s Detectives have contacted the family of an elderly woman who lived near multiple murderer John Cooper, and whose body was found in a bath.

Florence Evans was discovered at her home in Rosemarket, Pembrokeshire, 20 years ago.

Although an inquest found no suspicious circumstances, her family never believed it was an accident.

Dyfed Powys Police said there was "connectivity" between Cooper and Mrs Evans.

Cooper, 66, was jailed for life on Thursday for two 1980s double murders which the judge called crimes of evil wickedness.

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Clearly, John Cooper himself has introduced Florence Evans into his trial, and we were obviously aware of her prior to us taking the proceedings”

End Quote Det Ch Supt Steve Wilkins Cooper, from Letterston, was convicted after an eight-week trial at Swansea Crown Court.

He was also convicted of separate charges of rape, sexual assault and attempted robbery.

Mrs Evans was mentioned by Cooper in his defence evidence. Cooper and his wife, Pat, lived nearby and would visit her at her smallholding.

Known as Flo, Mrs Evans died soon after holidaymakers Peter and Gwenda Dixon were murdered by Cooper on the Pembrokeshire coastal path in 1989.

The body of the widow, who was in her 70s, was found fully clothed in the bath.

Suspicious

Her niece Jean Murphy confirmed that her aunt - who she described as an active, independent woman - was friendly with Cooper and his wife, and that he would visit and do odd jobs for her.

She said Mrs Evans never took baths, and that her aunt would not have had any hot water at the time of her death, as no fire had been lit in the kitchen.

Dyfed-Powys Police say they have a duty to see if Cooper is responsible for other crimes.

John Cooper was described by the judge as a 'highly predatory' at the end of his trial

Det Ch Supt Steve Wilkins, who led the cold case review into the murders of the Dixons and the 1985 murder of brother and sister Richard and Helen Thomas, said Cooper's trial turned up some "interesting issues" requiring further investigation.

"Clearly, John Cooper himself has introduced Florence Evans into his trial, and we were obviously aware of her prior to us taking the proceedings, and also the circumstances of her death, which were looked at within the coroner's court," said Det Ch Supt Wilkins.

"Clearly, there is connectivity between John Cooper and Flo Evans."

Det Ch Supt Wilkins told BBC Radio Wales' Eye on Wales programme: "There are a number of issues which I think we need to look at; his own history, where he's lived, what he was involved with at the time he lived in different locations.

"At this moment there is nothing concrete that connects him to any other offences, though there are a number of interesting issues which have come out during the trial.

"But also I need to speak to my chief officers as to how we then progress any other investigations, if indeed we do."

"So I will sit down and speak with particularly the family first of Flo Evans, to have those discussions with them, as to whether we should in fact have a look at the circumstances of her death."

BBC Radio Wales Eye on Wales special programme, is available on the BBC iPlayer for a week after its first transmission on Thursday, 26 May.

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