It is 10 years to the day since Sian O'Callaghan, 22, went missing while walking home from a nightclub. ITV's A Confession throws up an unimaginable ethical dilemma that real-life Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher faced in 2011: break police protocol to catch a serial killer and maybe save a life, or follow the rules and potentially endanger the lives of other women. Detective who quit after catching double murderer 'could have found more victims' EXCLUSIVE: It is exactly 10 years to the day since Sian O'Callaghan, who was murdered by Christopher Halliwell,. Jo Tweedy For Mailonline, Police officer involved in discredited Ted Heath paedophile inquiry retires on full pension despite facing misconduct probe, Police begin digging field close to where murdered mother-of-four Linda Razzell went missing 17 years ago. 16:13 GMT 26 Sep 2019 "It still doesn't answer the question of what he should have done," Freeman added. Halliwell was not charged over her death, but was. But it was ruled that he should have cautioned the then-suspect under PACE, which he knowingly failed to do. Halliwell claimed that Fulcher had threatened his family, and that his confession was elicited under duress. As a result, Halliwell was found guilty by a jury and his sentence increased to life imprisonment, meaning that he will never be released. But she never made it home, and her body was found five days later near Uffington, Oxfordshire. Not only was Becky dead, but she had been for years. DS Steve Fulcher, played by Martin Freeman in A Confession, resigned from the police after being found guilty of gross misconduct in the Christopher Halliwell case Fulcher has worked as a consultant for a private company in Somalia which offers aid from the Foreign Office. Then an inquiry found Steve guilty of breaching guidelines so, disgraced, he resigned. A Confession starred actor Martin Freeman as Fulcher, who managed to achieve what no policeman before him had been able to do - bring Becky home and identify her killer - but who was sacked as a result. She went back to the streets, looking for Becky, and got in touch with the police twice. "I like him, and I trust him," he continued. Halliwell admitted to murdering Becky, and took Fulcher to the where he had disposed of Becky's body. Fulcher's arrest of Halliwell was made into ITV drama 'The Confession' in 2019, and has been the source of much debate. But without official Missing Person Status their hands were tied. But Fulcher still feels wronged by senior officers - and believes he may have been able to prise information about more victims from Halliwell if given the chance. He received strong backing from the families of Sian OCallaghan and Becky Godden the latters mother, Karen Edwards, launched a petition to have Pace changed to offer greater protection for police officers, such as Fulcher. He then calmly offered information about 20-year-old Becky Godden, who had been missing since 2003. And in general, right now, we will not get your daughter back., Fulcher wearily shakes his head, We wont get your daughter back., Catching a Serial Killer by Stephen Fulcher is published by Ebury at 7.99. REVEALED: Pennsylvania cops seized four medical gloves, a silver flashlight and Bryan Kohberger's Under Armour Man dies 'after being shot at home': Police Scotland hunt 'gunman' as they appeal for information. Ive more commendations than you can shake a large stick at., This bears out: Fulcher had received three crown court recommendations and one chief constables commendation; there had been no previous findings of misconduct. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Someone else said she was running a club in Bristol. Karen last saw her daughter in 2002, on that day theyd been in court. "But, obviously, that moment is a very long time in the past.". Steve Fulcher, played by Martin Freeman, lost his career after catching a serial killer Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher resigned from Wiltshire Police in May 2014 ( Image: PA) As. ", In his interview with The Guardian, he said, "If I'm right, he had a propensity for killing on average once a year You're seriously telling me there's nothing in between or either side [the murders of Becky and Sian]? The popular office worker had been partying in Swindon, Wiltshire before she set off on the 800m journey back to her flat. The blunder saw Halliwell charged with the murder of 22-year-old Sian OCallaghan in May 2012 but not convicted for Becky's killing. Whether or not Steve Fulcher is still working in this role in 2019 is unknown. Because Im holding him on a knife edge, says Fulcher now. As she moved through her teens, she fell in with a bad crowd and started inhaling solvents; then she moved on to heroin. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. For other inquiries, Contact Us. However, the actions he took to try to save Sian and later Beck Godden-Edwards, cost him his career and reputation. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. "It's one of the times I nearly broke a little bit, and you have to let happen whatever happens "It was Fulcher's fall from grace really that interested me. That hed got away with killing Becky? ITVs A Confession follows Martin Freeman as Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher but where is the real former police officer now? Karens dogged campaign to bring Halliwell to justice turned into one of the most astonishing sagas in British legal history. For the fact that Becky was dead not estranged from her family, not wanting-to-be-missing only became apparent when her killer was being questioned about the disappearance of another young woman, 22-year-old Sian OCallaghan, who had failed to return home after a night out in Swindon in March 2011. In the final episode,Steve Fulcher (played by Martin Freeman) will face a displinary hearing over his conduct in the case of Sian O'Callaghan and Becky Godden-Edwards. He tells Tim Lewis why he'd do it again Tim. , updated Fulcher went on to publish his own book and has spoken many times in the press about his experience. A Confession on ITV: Who is Steve Fulcher? Freeman says the intensity of the role and real-life case almost broke him, particularly during one painful scene with co-star Imelda Staunton, who plays Becky's mother Karen Edwards. Steve now works as a security contractor in Somalia as he has been unable to find work in the UK since the scandal. Writing Catching a Serial Killer has been cathartic and also allows Fulcher to set out his thought processes methodically and furthermore to clear his name. Same situation, what would. But the situation was confused. Karen had to fight like a warrior to bring him finally to justice. It might not have been the wisest thing. A Confession on ITV: Martin Freeman reveals challenges of series. The Mirror's newsletter brings you the latest news, exciting showbiz and TV stories, sport updates and essential political information. Fans spot surprising star cameo! Wed both put ourselves into a position where we were sacrificing our lives.. A Confession is coming to ITV this September. Halliwell pleaded guilty to the murder OCallaghan on October 19, 2012, and was later sentenced to life imprisonment for her death. Steve now works as a security contractor in Somalia as he has been unable to find work in the UK since the scandal surrounding his dealings with the convicted killer. We had her home, where no one could hurt her any more., Karens book, A Killers Confession, is published by Headline at 20, By Speaking to Chat magazine, Edwards said: 'Since the trial, our family has kept in touch with Steve Fulcher and his wife Yvonne. 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Its like you ask him a question which is perhaps slightly elliptical and off he goes and half an hour later he has given you a potted version of what happened., Martin Freeman, who plays Fulcher added: He is straight back in it.. Despite Halliwell being jailed for Sian's murder in 2012, his evidence concerning Becky was inadmissible in court because of the way Steve obtained it. Born in April 1982, a little sister for Steven, Becky was a sensitive child who was deeply affected when her parents split up when she was six. The evidence Fulcher obtained about Becky Godden's disappearance was ruled inadmissible in court. A Confession follows Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher as he and his team investigate the disappearance and murder of Sian OCallaghan who was killed in March 2011. 14 Aug 2019. He then asked Steve if he wanted "to go for another", which was, unknown to Steve at the time, a reference to Becky. Yet Karen thought about Becky constantly. That man is a hero. Detective Sergeant Steve Fulcher resigned from the police force in 2014 after he was found guilty of misconduct for not reading Halliwell his rights when he first confessed to killing. After four hours of unsupervised questioning - which saw Fulcher breaking Code C of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (Pace) which protects the rights of an individual against the police with regard to questioning and detention - Halliwell eventually cracked and took the detective to where he had dumped Sian's body. It was probably the most intense four hours Ive ever experienced, recalls Fulcher, or I am ever likely to experience. Under clear blue skies, Halliwell and Fulcher smoked cigarettes, and slowly some kind of connection formed between the detective and the accused. "You've got to go back to the basic role of a police officer. If you were in my position, what would you do? he asks. He then took Fulcher to the remains of Becky Golden-Edwards who had been missing since 2007. When her worried boyfriend reports her missing, Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher (Martin Freeman) begins to piece together her last movements. Although Halliwell had already been cautioned twice, Fulcher should have done it again. In the end he links Sian's case to the disappearance of Becky Godden-Edwards after Halliwell owned up to a second body. Clickheretouploadyours, Meg & Harry 'stunned' by King's 'cruel' Frogmore eviction 'punishment', Harry and Meghan evicted from Frogmore Cottage by King Charles after Spare memoir, Emmerdale's Amy Nuttall caught cheating hubby after sexy lingerie slip-up, Shoppers are rushing to buy 23 beauty staple for just 99p at Home Bargains, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. I could be a very humble and lovely person and do terrible things. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive. 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