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Extracts from the MPA
on the Murder for which response was requested:
2. In 1987 private
investigator Daniel Morgan was murdered with an axe in a pub car park in
Sydenham, south east London. At the time he was the business partner of
Jonathan Rees in a company of private investigators called Southern
Investigations. Jonathan Rees was regarded as the principal suspect. The
primary motive was considered to be the circumstances surrounding a robbery at
a Car Auction premises a year earlier.
3. Jonathan Rees
undertook to provide security for the auctions, employing his brothers-in-law
and three serving police officers, one of whom was DS Sidney Fillery. On 18
March 1986 the auction’s takings were stolen in circumstances that led
Belmont Auctions to conclude that Mr Rees had engineered the theft. As a result
they sued Mr Rees and Mr Morgan through the civil courts. This caused a major
breakdown in the relationship between the two partners and the MPS
investigation team believed that this led to the murder.
4. Detective
Superintendent Douglas Campbell led the MPS investigation team. Because the
murder had occurred in the Catford police areas where he worked, DS Fillery was
seconded to the murder squad. He failed to inform Mr Campbell of his
association with Mr Rees or of his involvement with the Belmont incident. In
addition he undertook a search of the offices of Southern Investigations,
allegedly removing a file relating to the Belmont Auctions work that was never
seen by the investigation team. As soon as his role in the incident was
discovered he was removed from the squad but Mr Campbell’s view was that
he had already fundamentally undermined the investigation.
5. In April 1987 Mr
Rees, DS Fillery and the other two officers were arrested upon suspicion of
being involved in the murder. All were later released uncharged.
6. In the following
months there were rumours and allegations of high level police corruption and
Masonic links surrounding the investigation but no charges resulted.
7. In April 1988 an
inquest jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing. Daniel Morgan’s
family complained to the Police Complaints Authority about the conduct of the
investigation and in June 1988 the Head of Hampshire CID undertook a review of
the MPS investigation. His conclusion was that there was no evidence to suggest
that police had been involved and that in his opinion Mr Rees had arranged the
murder. Mr Rees was charged with this offence but the Director of Public
Prosecutions subsequently discontinued the prosecution for lack of evidence.
8. In March 1988 Mr
Fillery was medically discharged from the MPS and took Daniel Morgan’s
place as Mr Rees’ partner at Southern Investigations.
9. In 1999 the MPS
Anti-Corruption Command carried out a further investigation of Mr Rees’
and Mr Fillery’s alleged corrupt activities, together with the murder of
Daniel Morgan. This found little evidence in relation to the murder but
evidence of significant corruption. In addition, evidence was found of a
conspiracy to plant cocaine on a young mother on behalf of her husband in order
to win a custody battle for their child. As a result, in December 2000 Rees and
the husband were sentenced to six years imprisonment, later increased to seven
years on appeal.
Further
Reading
- Full MPA Report <here>
- Family's 18th anniversary tribute <here>
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