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Police commissioner says sorry for 'dead bodies' remark

Alison Hernandez is sorry for 'dead bodies' remark (image courtesy: OPPC)

Force clarifies only one body found in murder hunt

Devon and Cornwall's police and crime commissioner Alison Hernandez has put her foot in it on an operational police matter relating to a murder enquiry. 

Ms Hernandez told a panel that oversees her work and that of the regional force that a number of dead bodies have been found in woodland near St Austell.

She told the group, which is made up of local councillors: "We have got a huge forensics tent down there and lots of forensics officers, obviously we've found dead bodies in that wood.

"We're just trying to establish how many there may be at this point in time and whether we are aware of who they are or what might have happened to them. 

"So we also don't know how long they may have been there, some of them."

The force has issued a clarification about three separate murder investigations currently under way in Cornwall and emphasised that only one body has been located at Sticker near St Austell.

Detective superintendent Jon Bancroft said: “I have oversight of all of these investigations at this time, and can confirm they are being carried out independently of each other and are not believed to be linked. 

“I can categorically state that we have recovered remains believed to be those of Daniel Coleman only from an area of woodland in Sticker. No other remains have been located at this scene to date.” 

Ms Hernandez has since apologised for her remarks "for any alarm this may have caused". She said: "The police have operational primacy over these matters. Any investigation will unfold rapidly and I was not in possession of all the facts at that time."

Det Supt Bancroft added: “James Desborough has been charged with the murder of Daniel Coleman and will next appear before Truro Crown Court on 8 August.

“It is imperative that we continue to respect the integrity of the formal court process and ensure the administration of justice is not compromised in any way.  

“We hope members of public understand that, for this reason, we cannot comment further on the defendant or the investigation.  

“I would also urge people not to speculate on this case, particularly on social media, and risk prejudicing these proceedings.  

“Publication of material which does so could lead to a criminal offence under the Contempt of Court Act.” 
 

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