Jeremy Bamber

August 1985 Bamber shot the rest of his family, five people in all. He claimed that his sister must have flipped, as she was prone to doing. All the family were shot with a semi automatic .22 rifle, dying of multiple wounds.

Neville Bamber, a farmer and a local magistrate, lived in a farmhouse in the small village of Tolleshunt d'Arcy, in Essex, with his wife June. They were unable to have children and had adopted Sheila, and her brother, Jeremy.
Jeremy lived in a cottage of his own in Goldhanger, a neighbouring village.

Sheila, was a model known as Bambi.
She lived in London, she married Colin Caffell and gave birth to twin sons in June 1979.
Sheila had a history of serious psychiatric problems. as a consequence she and Caffell divorced in 1982 and the children were looked after by their father.

Sunday 4th August 1985 , Colin Caffell drove the children and their mother to Tolleshunt d'Arcy and dropped them off to spend a week at the farm. 

Wednesday 7th August 1985,  Neville, June, Sheila, and her sons were all shot dead.

Some facts about the case.

Bamber claims that he had been at White House farm the evening before the murders, when a heated discussion between his parents and sister Sheila had started. This was about whether Sheila's twins should be fostered or not,  Sheila was schizophrenic and having problems looking after the children.

Bamber further claims that he had a call from his father at about 3:30am saying that Sheila had gone mad, the phone then went dead, Bamber called the police and met them at the house, all 5 were dead. 

The Police claim Bamber killed them, went home then called them, the motive being money, there was a family fortune of nearly £500,000.

The police discovered that all doors and windows were locked from the inside, thus they initially believed Bamber's claim that his sister was the murderer. And over the next few days police were in and out of the farm house with little regard for the integrity of any forensic evidence, as they believed it was an open and shut case.
But Bamber's extended family were not happy, and did some, 'private Investigations' of their own.

Among the things they discovered,  that even though one of the small windows in the kitchen appeared locked, that it could still be opened from the outside.

The other interesting fact surrounds the gun. It was revealed that the silence was in the gun cupboard, it was family that initially fond this, the police missed it.
Home office tests confirmed blood on the silencer was that belonging to Sheila.
Neville Bamber was a very fit farmer, he was 6ft 4in tall.

On the night of the murder Bamber had phoned his girlfriend, Julie Mugford, and said "Tonight's the Night".

14th October 1986, Bamber's trial starts at Chelmsford Crown Court.

28th October 1986 Jeremy Bamber is found guilty by the jury, with a majority 10 --2  verdict.

Bamber was sentenced to 5 life sentences.
Bamber was told by the trial judge, Mr. Justice Drake, that he was "warped and evil" and recommended that he should serve at least 25 years before being considered for release.

1989, Bamber launches his first appeal, this was rejected.

12th December 2002. Bamber's second appeal to the High court was also turned down.

2004; Bamber was rushed to a hospital after he was attacked by another inmate while making a telephone call from Full Sutton Prison, where he is serving his sentence. He suffered deep cuts to his neck but made a complete recovery.

Jeremy Bamber has always protested his innocence, claiming he was set up by his extended family.
He has even taken a lie detector test in prison, which he passed.
The defence team claim they now have new evidence, obtained under the freedom of information act. Information that will show that Jeremy Bamber has served 22 years in prison as an innocent man. The criminal cases review commission is examining this new evidence.

7th April 2008, The high court has ruled that Bamber must remain classed as a highly dangerous "category A" prisoner.

16th May 2008. The high court in London has made a ruling,
Mr Justice Tugendhat said there was no reason for him to depart from recommendations made both by the Lord Chief Justice and the Home Secretary that Bamber must serve a "whole life" tariff.
He said Bamber "continues to deny that he committed the murders" and had not shown a shred of remorse. Bamber  was put on the home office list of whole life tariff prisoners, see list here >>
 
Tuesday 17th January 2012, Bamber loses his appeal to the European Court. His case, together with two other life prisoners was that, being sentenced to a whole life tariff was 'inhuman and degrading treatment'.

Thursday 26th April 2012,  The Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC) has announced that it will not be refereeing the case for appeal.

Bamber's supporters have created a website, with full coverage of the case, find it here >

Thursday 19th July 2012, it has been announced that Bamber can go to the European Court of Human Rights grand chamber to have his case heard. he claims it is against human right to keep him in prison on a whole life tariff.

August 2015, it is claimed that Bamber is going to submit another appeal ageist his conviction.

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