Clydach murders: Forensic review agreed for evidence

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 more than 20 years ago has been agreed.

Mandy Power, her daughters Katie and Emily and her mother Doris Dawson, were bludgeoned to death at their home in Clydach, near Swansea in June 1999.

David Morris was tried twice for murder after his first conviction was quashed. He is serving a 32-year sentence.

Following requests from his defence team, some items are to be examined by an independent forensic team.

Morris was convicted for the second time in 2006 and was initially given a whole-life sentence, which was reduced on appeal to 32 years.

What happened in Clydach in 1999?

David Morris faced two trials for the murders and was found guilty at both

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.

Mrs Dawson, who was 80, was killed as she lay helpless in her bed, and the killer laid in wait for the others to return home.

• Fresh doubts over Clydach murders conviction

• MP calls for review of Clydach murders conviction

• Police speak to 'new witnesses' after murder doc

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.

The killer lit fires around the house in an attempt to hide the crimes. Firefighters found the bodies of Ms Power and the girls laid out on the landing when they came to tackle the blaze.

Morris has always maintained his innocence, but a bid to take his case to the Court of Appeal was rejected as recently as 2018 by the Criminal Cases Review Commission.

Who will carry out the forensic review?

However, there have been doubts cast over his conviction by those who have studied the case.

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 force said it had decided a "proportionate course of action", which was to appoint an independent senior investigating officer and an independent forensic scientist to oversee a review of the areas referred to by Morris's legal representatives.

South Wales Police said in a statement: "The decision to carry out a forensic review does not constitute a reopening or reinvestigation of the murders, nor does it demonstrate any lack of confidence in the conviction of Morris and the subsequent case reviews.

"Morris was convicted unanimously by a jury on the strength of the prosecution case and independent reviews by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) have not identified any new evidence.

"Due to the advancement of forensic technology we may now be in a position to answer some of the questions which have been raised about forensic issues in this case."

A number of fires were lit in Mandy Power's house after the murders

The force is also requesting material which has previously been forensically examined by the CCRC as part of the new process.

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".

"Our thoughts remain with the families and those affected by this case and acknowledge the significant impact it continues to have on them," it added.

What is the reaction to the review?

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.

He said the announcement was "hugely significant".

"I really welcome the news that South Wales Police have agreed to carry out an independent review of the forensic evidence," he told BBC Wales.

"There are so many unanswered questions in this case that need to be addressed. What is required is an open and transparent investigation to finally get to the truth of what happened.

"I believe that what has been announced today could be the start of that process."

However, Morris's sister Debra Morris said the announcement did not go far enough: "It's not independent for me. We have asked for this for a long time and South Wales Police are choosing who looks at it.

"It's not what we have asked for. It's not good enough."