Fresh review of infamous Essex murders as Michael Steele’s possible release stirs debate. Convictions questioned.
Two men, Michael Steele and Jack Whomes, were jailed in 1998 and convicted for three Essex murders. The convictions of killing three gangsters prompted this fresh review. Steele is in his 80s now.
A parole board thinks he isn’t a danger anymore, so he might get released. Whomes was released back in 2021.
Tony Tucker, Pat Tate, and Craig Rolfe died in 1995 after someone shot them inside a Range Rover. They say a row over a drug deal caused the killings.
Steele has been ordered for release from prison, but he will remain there for 21 days. The decision could get overturned during this review.
Steele and Whomes said they weren’t involved, and Steele has always said he was innocent. Steele wasn’t seen as needing risk reduction.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission is doing another review. Essex Police said they have examined the case and will work with the CCRC. They will review new info, too.
A CCRC person said they got applications about the case, so they are doing a complete review. They can’t comment while reviewing it.
The case gained lots of media attention, and books, films, and documentaries covered it. Essex Boys (2000) included Sean Bean, and the Rise of the Footsoldier films came later.
David McKelvey is a former police officer who said he thought the men were guilty in 2023. After reviewing the evidence, he has doubts now. McKelvey arrested Darren Nicolls, who was key.
Nicolls claimed he drove Whomes and Steele after the shootings, and his evidence helped get the convictions. Now McKelvey doubts Nicolls’ account seriously.
McKelvey said they reviewed all the case info and wondered if Darren Nicolls told the truth. If he did, Steele and Whomes are guilty.
The judge told the jury that if they believed Nicolls, the men were guilty, but if not, they were innocent. McKelvey found issues with Nicolls’ story.
Steele and Whomes appealed twice, with the last time being in 2006. Courts rejected the appeals both times.
Police investigated the Rettendon murders of Tony Tucker, Pat Tate, and Craig Rolfe. Steele and Whomes were convicted, and the case went to the Court of Appeal in 1999 and 2006.
The appeals focused on evidence, but both appeals failed. In 2006, the judge saw no safety issues.
The CCRC reviewed the case in 2023, but they chose not to send it back to court. Police have examined the case for 27 years and will always work with the CCRC.