Police praised for probe into Brighton Babes in the Wood cases

Chief Superintendent Nick May said the force had to wait until Russell Bishop was found guilty of the murders in Wild Park in 1986.

A jury at The Old Bailey was presented with new DNA evidence linking the paedophile to the murders of Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway, both aged nine, who were found dead.

But it was only after this case had come to court that officers could then investigate Jennifer Johnson’s role in helping her former partner evade justice at his first trial at Lewes Crown Court in 1987.

Chief Supt May said: “We worked closely with the CPS on this case, assessing that it was not possible or proper to prosecute until the guilt of Russell Bishop had been established.

Nick May

“He was convicted in December 2018 following an intensive police investigation spanning many years and is now serving sentences of life imprisonment.

“This investigation began in 2019, and a file of evidence was submitted to the CPS who concluded that there was evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and that it was in the public interest to bring this case to court.

“The decision of the court today brings to an end the investigations of these terrible crimes. The court was clearly satisfied that Johnson had lied to both the police and the jury in 1987.

“As the prosecutor made clear, those lies mattered. They undermined a key part of the prosecution case in 1987 specifically relating to the sweatshirt owned by Russell Bishop and which was at the centre of the trials in both 1987 and 2018.

“Our thoughts remain with all those affected by the tragic events of 1986 and 1990. None of us will ever fully understand what they have been through.”

The families of the two murdered school girls praised the police and Crown Prosecution Service after the verdicts.

Lorna Clary said she has joined efforts to get justice for what happened to her cousin Nicola Fellows and her friend Karen Hadaway from Newick Road, Brighton.

She praised the work of investigators and barristers who worked “tirelessly” on the case.

The nine-year-olds became known as the Babes in the Wood after their bodies were found at Wild Park in a den in October 1986.

FILE PICS FROM 1986 MURDERS OF NICOLA FELLOWS AND KAREN HADAWAY .WILD PARK MURDERS / BABES IN THE WOOD.RUSSELL BISHOP.**.

After a battle to get Russell Bishop and Jennifer Johnson to answer for their roles, Lorna said all the families want to thank the police.

She said: “We want to thank our police teams and counsel again, without whom we would not be stood here today.

“We thank them for their tireless work and dedication in this very complex trial.”

Johnson, of Saunders Park View, Brighton, could now face prison when she is sentenced on Wednesday.