This case has been looked at and looked at and explored. The force is also requesting material which has previously been forensically examined by the CCRC as part of the new process. Police believed the killer first used the pole to kill Mandy, thought to be the real target, and then murdered the rest of the family to cover their tracks. Morris was convicted of the murders in 2002 - but the verdict was quashed on appeal due to a conflict of interest by a defence solicitor. He has always maintained his innocence and a campaign to free him is gathering pace. At the time of her affair with Mandy, Alison was married to Stephen Lewis, an officer with South Wales Police, who was also arrested on suspicion of the murders. The juries of both of Morris' trials, in 2002 and 2006, were told of his previous convictions for violence. South Wales Police commissioned a review in the hope that we could in some way provide closure for those most affected by the murders. Morris may have given a muddled account of his movements the night of the murders, but more than one expert thinks the official timeline undermines his conviction. . According to the documentary, this aspect of the case was never presented to the jury at Morriss trial. She was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing, but Alison Lewis will forever be remembered in connection to the mass murder which shook the sleepy Welsh village of Clydach to its core. How Senegal's president defused a political timebomb, Celebrating Pride in the midst of a culture war. It was all because of one horrific night, on June 26, 1999, when three generations of one family were brutally murdered in a small village in South Wales. "One of the difficult things is separating the fact and fiction, the gossip from the truth.". Mandy initially told police Morris had arrived home between 22:30 and 23:00 and she didn't let him in, but in court said she didn't know what time he came back, but that she did let him in. Read about our approach to external linking. Now he was front and centre. "Alison Lewis was interviewed [for the programme]. Now for the first time in 22 years, Stuart Lewis has spoken about the ordeal that has ruined his life, as The Mirror reports. Alison and Steve were arrested on suspicion of murder, and Stuart on perverting the course of justice but all three were later cleared. Their 80-year-old disabled grandmother, Doris Dawson, was murdered as she lay in bed. "What struck me was they were very, very similar," he said. I know my brother, one hundred per cent. Ms Williams says the man she saw was wearing a bomber jacket and carrying a rolled-up bundle under his arm - the same description another new potential witness has given the BBC. Clydach murders police officer breaks 22-year silence But after the documentary aired, South Wales Police said no information had been provided that undermined Morris's conviction. However there was no blood from Doris suggesting she was killed first then later use of the bar removed traces of her. THE CLYDACH MURDERS: LESBIAN LOVE STORY; Alison and Mandy's affair was In a statement, Stephen Lewis told the BBC he had no part in the murders and that his alibi - that he was at home with his wife Alison - suggests that witnesses who suggested he was in Clydach the night of the killings were mistaken. Mandy Power's family say they believe the right man was convicted of the crime, and Martyn Lloyd-Evans, who led the probe into the killings, insists the force found the right man. Morris had no alibi, and the chain linking him to the crime scene was sufficient evidence to convince a jury that he was the murderer. Read about our approach to external linking. Alison speaks through tears in the new documentary as she recalls how she was arrested in front of her crying children. I thought, this isnt happening," says Alison, recalling the day of the arrest. He was then an Acting Inspector and was not only on duty the night of the murders but was the most senior officer to arrive at the scene. 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South Wales Police says it acknowledges the "significant impact" the case continues to have on the victims' families and the wider community. Tensions in the community were running high, and some members of the public suspected the police would conspire to protect one of their own. What is required is an open and transparent investigation to finally get to the truth of what happened. "They can't let it go - if they did, they'd feel like it was a betrayal. DISCLAIMER: I do have a slight personal tie to this case. Alison Lewis was initially questioned over. Clydach murders . This commitment resulted in a forensic link between the convicted killer David Morris and an item of great significance which was recovered from the murder scene. Stephen's wife Alison Lewis, a former officer with South Wales Police, had been in a lesbian affair with Mandy, and suspicion had fallen on Stuart because of events on the night. He says those timings, and understanding who was killed first, are critical. Morris had been drinking at the New Inn on the edge of Clydach and said he had wandered the streets for hours, first towards his home then towards Swansea, before eventually getting home about 03:00 when he claimed his girlfriend Mandy Jewell let him in. Mandys daughters, Katie, 10, and Emily, eight, were also killed, as was her 80-year-old mum Doris Dawson. David Morris, 59, killed three generations of the same family in the Swansea Valley village in 1999. There are also interviews with fire fighters who are still clearly traumatised after entering the property on the night of the murders and discovering the four lifeless bodies; as well as a forensic investigator who worked on the case. I'd look like an old person! The comments below have been moderated in advance. ALISON Lewis emerged from the police station with a blanket over her head, officers escorting her on either side. Investigators believed the killer had worn a sock as a glove, and picked up the fibreglass pole, a metre-and-a-half long, which had been left on the landing. South Wales Police said it hoped the review would help the family of the victims move on and "answer the questions posed by others once and for all". An ex-police officer has claimed his own force botched a murder inquiry leading to unfounded rumours his family was involved in the killings of a mother, her two little girls and their grandmother. Clydach murders: 'Nothing to undermine' David Morris conviction so far. There was no substantive evidence, and Alison recalls pleading with officers: Please tell me youve got more than this. IT WAS A MASSACRE; Four slain after mum refused sex, jury hears. Prof Mike Berry casts doubt on the conviction of David Morris for Clydach murders. She feared she would be killed that day, before she had a chance to prove her innocence, but was eventually driven to safety. In the years between the killings and his jailing, other suspects - including serving South Wales Police officers - had been investigated and Morris was convicted and jailed only to have that sentence quashed and a fresh trial ordered. ", BBC Wales Investigates The Clydach Murders: Beyond Reasonable Doubt on Thursday, 22 October at 21:00 GMT on BBC One Wales and afterwards on iPlayer, Israeli forces start withdrawing from Jenin, Israel's Jenin operation reignites Palestinian anger, Armed thugs beat up Russian journalist and lawyer, Cuba turns to old ally Russia to tackle fuel crisis, 'For the politicians of France, we are nothing', The battalion of black women erased from history. He had been having a fling with Mandy Powers, which he also initially hid from police. The sequence of events combined with the timeline of Morris's known movements have led Mr Thornton to conclude it's "nearly impossible" for him to have carried out the murders. Stuart should have immediately notified his superiors that they were dealing with a murder investigation. A team of firefighters dealt with the blaze while rescuers looked for survivors. Ms Power and her daughters were battered repeatedly with a fibreglass pole, which the children used to play with, and Ms Power's body was sexually assaulted. Read about our approach to external linking. His trial heard he had a sexual relationship with Ms Power and was fuelled by drink and drugs when he went on a killing spree in June 1999. But Martyn Lloyd-Evans, the Senior Investigating Officer, tells the show: I have no doubt at all that David Morris is the killer. Alison herself had been in the police force but had been invalided out on disability after witnessing an upsetting suicide. Firefighters found the bodies of Ms Power and the girls laid out on the landing when they came to tackle the blaze. That is never going to happen". "Yes he used to get into trouble, we have never tried to paint a perfect picture of my brother. There was never any evidence because Im innocent. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. In 2001 investigations into the murders were reignited after an off-duty police officer claimed they overheard a conversation about Morris and Ms Power having had sex. 2023 BBC. Evidence later suggested Mandy Powers had been sexually assaulted - most likely after she was killed. The damage has been done. He has studied the Clydach files and has raised a number of questions about the killer's behaviour and says he finds it hard to believe Morris was behind what happened afterwards. They were all released without charge. They did everything they could to get me to admit to the murders.. Stephen Lewis, his wife Alison and his twin brother Stuart were arrested in July 2000, the married couple on suspicion of murder and Stuart on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. Filmmaker Owen Phillips, who went to school near Clydach at the time of the murders, said the early media focus on Alison was partly because of her "unorthodox" relationship with Mandy and her martial arts training, which included a black belt in karate. The true story of the Clydach murders - Wales' biggest police Youngsters use their thumbs to tap on their devices and avoid using their fingers so they don't look like their grandparents, study finds, The Kate British bake off! A blood-stained gold chain found at the crime scene had led police to Morris, with paint found on the jewellery matching paint used on kitchen cabinets at his flat. He spent 22 . They made love after dropping their children at school and later after a barbecue at Alison's house as her police sergeant husband Stephen Lewis slept upstairs. If Morris had drunk a considerable amount of alcohol and taken drugs, Professor Berry doubts he would have behaved as the killer did after the murders. David 'Dai' Morris was twice convicted of the multiple killings, but his family have always maintained his innocence and continue to fight to clear his name after he died in prison last August. Our thoughts as ever remain with the family of Mandy Power, her children Katie, aged 10, and Emily, eight, and her 80-year-old mother Doris, who still experience such painful memories even to this day.. BBC News | WALES | Clydach murders: No charges No information has been provided by two potential new witnesses to undermine the conviction of a man for murdering a family . The. Bezos waves to tourists from his $500million love boat, Plumes of smoke rise over Jenin as Israeli strikes continue, Russian journalist details her brutal attack whilst in Chechnya, Grandmother of the boy killed by police in France speaks up, Moment Sussex Police refuses to attend shoplifting and assault, Buildings up in smoke after Ukrainian drone attack on Russian base, Neighbors at war! The former Welsh women's rugby international, and ex-policewoman, had been arrested over the brutal killings of three generations of the same family - and a "baying, screaming" crowd was waiting for her. David Morris killed three generations of the same family in the village of . Many will still believe there is no smoke without fire.. "I remember lying on the floor of the car thinking: 'I'm going to die here in the back of this car and I won't be able to prove I'm innocent'. Morris, who died in August aged 59, was . This government pension . 'I became the devil': Trauma of woman wrongly suspected of murdering an Yes, he used to get into trouble but he's not the monster they made him out to be.". Alison Lewis, who was arrested after the bodies of her lover Mandy Power and Ms Power's family were discovered, had earlier spoken of her intention to sue the force. "He left the pub at half past 11, Mandy and the girls came back just before 12," he said. Now a new true-crime documentary series examines a case that continues to haunt its residents. Dai Morris' sister also speaks exclusively to the series. But he's not the monster that they made him out to be". "They completely believe he didn't do it and they'll say it's not a question of blind faith," Phillips says of Morris's family. Some 4,500 statements were taken and there were 4,000 exhibits. He was found guilty of the four murders at both trials. The Clydach murders: Blood-soaked trail that led to the Clydach killer "I think the motive for murder here is anger. Clydach murders: police review claims sock links Dai Morris to scene But despite the initial suspicion over the trio, it was decided there was insufficient evidence linking them to the crime and they were not charged, eventually being ruled out as suspects in January 2001. University lecturer and journalist Brian Thornton, one of the founders of the Crime and Justice Research Centre at the University of Winchester, has studied the Clydach murders for a decade. Martyn Lloyd-Evans, the Senior Investigating Officer at the time of the murders, says in the documentary: There were no financial worries. I really thought I was going to be killed.. But potential new witnesses, along with the views of experts, have given campaigners calling for his release fresh hope. "The girls I think, to use that awful expression, were collateral. All four were beaten to death with a metal pole and fires were started in different parts of the house. Morriss supporters have always maintained his innocence, however, and many still point to irregularities in the handling of the crime scene. "I have no doubt at all that David Morris is the killer. "We have always said we will fight for our family, but we never expected to be fighting 21 years on.". People are entrenched in their views about who did it.". A year before her arrest, Alison's lover Mandy Power had been found dead along with Mandy's mother Doris and daughters, Katie, 10, and Emily, aged eight. His legal representatives made a request to South Wales Police in November, following the airing of a BBC Wales Investigates programme on the conviction of Mr Morris, asking for various items of evidence to be released for further investigation by their forensic scientists. The man convicted of the Clydach murders has died in prison, it has been confirmed. You can read here how the shadow of the horrific crime has refused to life from the village. He was then found guilty by a second jury. He said there appears to be a "significant volume of material" which was withheld using PII and he cannot see an "obvious reason" to justify it. "This case has been looked at and looked at and explored. The Clydach Murders: A Miscarriage of Justice John Morris 4.32 666 ratings57 reviews John Morris's new book is an investigation into the Clydach murders in South Wales in 1999 in which Mandy Power, her mother and two daughters were battered to death. The community was fearful, and seething. Alison Lewis features in a new documentary about the Clydach murders. The police investigation was flawed from the outset, which resulted in [Stuart's] reputation and life being destroyed.. Alison Lewis A woman who was arrested as part of the investigation into the infamous Clydach murders has spoken out about her terrifying ordeal. "There was a driver and a passenger there, and I heard him [the passenger] saying to the driver 'whatever you do don't stop. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Alison was once branded a murderer after she was arrested in connection with the brutal Clydach killings. He also didn't fill in his pocket book until the Monday. Ms Power with her two daughters, Katie and Emily. "But in the process, the killer has smashed a light bulb which has caused at least the top floor of the house to go dark because it's been fused.". Morris was convicted in 2002 and died in prison last year. The development prompted a rare statement from Mandy's family who called on Morris's supporters to accept his guilt. Katie and Emily Power, who were murdered alongside their mother and grandmother in Clydach in 1999, Police Inspector Stuart Lewis has broken his 22-year-silence. This led to Morris becoming centre of the investigations - he had previously given a statement to police in the weeks after the deaths. The man convicted of the Clydach murders has died in prison, it has been confirmed. Clydach murders: Forensic review to be carried out Morris was serving a 32-year sentence for bludgeoning Mandy, her daughters and her mother to death at their home in Kelvin Road, Clydach in June 1999. There may be disagreement over the details, but nobody disputes that an almost unspeakable crime was committed at 9 Kelvin Road in Clydach on the night of Saturday 26 into the morning of Sunday 27 June 1999. ALISON Lewis, a prime suspect during the hunt for the murderer of Mandy Power and her family, led a secret double life of which Stephen, her police inspector husband, was totally unaware. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Mandy was always kind, loving, tried to do her best all the time, and enjoyed her life and her children. 19 January 2021 Family handout Mandy Power and her daughters, Emily and Katie, were murdered in their home in 1999 A forensic review of evidence linked to the brutal murders of a family of four. Mandy Power, 34, her bed-ridden mother Doris Dawson, 80, and her daughters Katie, 10, and Emily, eight, were found dead by firefighters at their home in Clydach, near Swansea, in June 1999. On the night of the murders, Nicola Williams was driving on Gellionnen Road in the early hours of Sunday 27 June 1999, and also thinks she saw Stephen Lewis near Kelvin Road around 02:30. What they said raises questions about the strength of his conviction. Just a month ago Stuart was kicked out of his local gym after a member complained about him being there. A forensic review of the Clydach murders has made "significant findings" linking convicted killer David Morris to the crime scene, police have said. He was arrested for perverting the course of justice. Alison Lewis has spoken to a new documentary about her arrest over the deaths of Mandy Power, her mother Doris and daughters Katie and Emily. Her husband, Stephen, was still serving in the force. Labourer David Morris, also known as Dai, was twice convicted of the multiple killings but his family have maintained his innocence and continue to fight to clear his name after he died in prison aged 59 last August. A theory was widely circulated that Stephen might have found out about his wifes lesbian affair and taken revenge on Mandy. There were also issues with his alibi. Clydach murder inquiry fast-tracked after new evidence emerges. The Clydach murders - a family brutally murdered, evidence of a complex police cover-up and a potentially innocent man convicted of multiple life sentences. 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It led to South Wales Police's largest ever murder inquiry. Stuart stayed at 9 Kelvin Road for less than 10 minutes, failed to preserve the scene and his log book for that night went missing. The timeline of the killings is another angle Morris's defence team want to explore, as it was not something used in his defence at either trial. He is serving a 32-year sentence. Following requests from his defence team, some items are to be examined by an independent forensic team. The Crown Prosecution Service eventually decided there wasnt enough evidence to charge Alison and Stephen Lewis. David Morris was tried twice for murder after his first conviction was quashed. But no one has ever said what evidence there is against me, Stephen and Stuart, apart from hearsay, gossip, rumours and lies. Nobody had been seen leaving the property, so firefighters thought Mandy Powers would be inside with her terminally-ill elderly mum and her two daughters. BBC Wales investigation uncovers potential new evidence in Clydach Murder in the Valleys premieres on Sky Crime and NOW on Sunday, February 6. "I feel for Alison. David Morris was found guilty of murdering an entire family of four including two young girls. Clydach murders: Killer David Morris dies in prison - BBC News Some locals still buy into the debunked theory that a former police woman, her husband and his twin brother carried out the killings. Alison and Steve were arrested on suspicion of murder, and Stuart on perverting the course of justice but all three were later cleared. Explainer Murder in The Valleys: The true story of the Clydach murders - Wales' biggest police investigation Wales South Wales Police Wednesday 9 February 2022, 1:29pm Mandy Power, her two. THE brutal murder of a family of four rocked the close-knit Swansea Valley community of Clydach to its core.