THE body of man who was murdered after he was wrongly identified as a paedo lay undiscovered for weeks despite multiple tip-offs to cops.
Michael Wheeler, 37, was brutally attacked and killed by Mark Roberts and David Garland on August 24 last year after he was mistakenly identified as a paedophile.
SWNSMichael Wheeler’s body lay undiscovered for weeks[/caption]
SWNSThe horror scene at Juniper Close where Wheeler was killed[/caption]
SWNSMark Roberts was found guilty of murder and conspiracy to murder Michael Wheeler[/caption]
SWNSDavid Garland was also found guilty of the same charges and was sentenced to life imprisonment[/caption]
He was assaulted at Roberts’s flat in Yeovil in the early hours of the morning, suffering multiple injuries, including 11 skull and facial fractures.
Wheeler had be friends with Garland and Roberts – to whom he owed £100.
But his relationship went downhill when the others saw an article about a man – also named Michael Wheeler – who was jailed in 2003 after admitting grooming and sexually abusing two 13-year-old girls.
They were not the same person and during the trial, prosecuting counsel, David Elias, KC, made it clear the victim had no convictions for child sexual offences.
One of the last sightings of him was on CCTV at a petrol station just a few hours before his death.
Wheeler’s body was later found in a derelict caravan on farmland in Yarlington on September 25 last year.
On the day of his death, Avon and Somerset Police had received an anonymous call to say someone had been heard shouting “call the police” and sent officers to a flat in Yeovil where a man refused to let them in.
Three weeks later, the force received another anonymous tip-off to say there was a dead body at the same address.
The force carried out further inquiries but were unable to locate a body at the time.
Garland and Roberts were each found guilty of both the murder of Michael Wheeler and conspiracy to cause him grievous bodily harm with intent.
Garland had previously admitted preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body.
Garland was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 32 years for murder.
He was handed a two-year jail term for preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body, to be served concurrently.
Roberts was jailed for life with a minimum term of 27 years for murder.
Details of the two tip-offs were included in a report published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) on deaths following police contact.
The IOPC report said: “Police received an anonymous call to a residential address reporting that a man had been heard shouting “call the police”.
“An officer attended and spoke to the man outside of the property who said he lived at the address but refused to allow the officer inside.
“Just over three weeks later, police received anonymous information about a dead body in the same address that the officer had attended.
“The information suggested the man had been murdered two or three weeks before. Inquiries were carried out, but police were unable to locate a body.
“Several arrests were made, including the man who lived at the address that was initially visited by the police officer. A short time after the arrests a body of a man was found.”
The IOPC investigated the decisions made by the sergeant who responded to the initial call, said a spokesperson.
SWNSThe tragic last image of Wheeler in grey[/caption]
SWNSMark Roberts’ arrest was caught on camera[/caption]
SWNSDavid Garland was also arrested by cops the same night[/caption]
When Wheeler disappeared, his mother was suffering from a terminal illness.
She passed away before the trial, but had written a victim personal statement which was read to the court.
She said: “I have had my DNR (do not resuscitate) changed so that I can try and stay alive as long as possible. I want to make it to trial. I want to see justice served on these people.
“I may not be here when this statement is read out, but that means I am with my son.”
She said: “I wasn’t able to see Michael once he had been found and this was because of the circumstances he was found in. This upset me, I wanted to say goodbye to him.
“As a family we haven’t been able to get back to normal. We’ve all been looking out for one another. It’s so difficult for us all, I would just love to have him back.”
‘SCARRED FOR LIFE’
Michael’s older sister also paid tribute and described him as a “loving man with a big heart”.
She said he was “brilliant” with her children, always making time for them.
She said: “It breaks my heart that he will never get to see them grow up. The children miss their uncle terribly.
“Michael never had the chance to say goodbye to our mum – he was her golden boy. When we got the news from the police, mum’s health deteriorated so quickly.
“I was caring for her, and to lose both my brother and then mum shortly after has been unbearable … I’m saddened to think she left us without knowing the full truth of what happened to Michael.
“I am filled with anger and confusion. I cannot understand why anyone would want to kill him.
“It has scarred me for life … This loss is going to affect me forever … Although the trial is over, the pain remains. I want my brother back.
“These terrible men have taken my brother away from me and our family.
“They must face the consequences of this awful act.”
Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
