Sold down the river

In October, 2020 I wrote a short piece that featured, yet again, the ‘cover-up’ culture that pervades every part of North Yorkshire Police, writes Neil Wilby. There are over thirty other such articles on this website. It is a rich seam for any curious journalist to mine. That, apparently, excludes those working for the tameContinue reading “Sold down the river”

Post Office robberies claim was a sham, say police.

At around this time last year (March 2020) I was in regular contact with Jane Metcalfe, a relative newcomer to the innocence claim of convicted murderer, Robin Garbutt (read more here), writes Neil Wilby. She was, however, widely recognised as the campaign leader at that point and had done remarkably well in raising the profileContinue reading “Post Office robberies claim was a sham, say police.”

Review of February, 2021 on neilwilby.com

A fairly busy month saw six articles published on this website. They have contributed to a pleasing and continuing upward trend in visitor numbers and page impressions. The first, published on 10th February, saw a return to the vexed situation in Oldham, where a group of political agitators cling desperately to a series of mostlyContinue reading “Review of February, 2021 on neilwilby.com”

The two that got away?

In this, the first of a short series reviewing the past year, a second look is taken at two cases of miscreant police officers being shielded by senior management in their respective police forces. In August, a very powerful story was published on this website. The latest in a lengthy series of exclusives dating backContinue reading “The two that got away?”

We investigated ourselves and found nothing wrong

During this course of this week, details have emerged of three more sub-optimal North Yorkshire Police investigations. These add to a shocking catalogue over the past 10 years or so (read more here). Not burglaries or car break-ins, but deaths in two different rivers in the county, 12 years apart. Denying closure for bereaved familiesContinue reading “We investigated ourselves and found nothing wrong”

‘A comedy of errors’

North Yorkshire Police has finally admitted that no review of their calamitous murder investigation into the brutal death of Diana Garbutt ever took place (read more here). She was bludgeoned to death in the upstairs living quarters of Melsonby Post Office in March, 2010. Her husband, Robin Garbutt, was convicted of the murder in April,Continue reading “‘A comedy of errors’”

‘A grubby little police force’

This catchphrase, now widely shared on social media and indelibly associated with Durham Constabulary, was first coined in November 2016 as part of communication between journalist, Neil Wilby, and the force, concerning a concise, plainly expressed freedom of information request (read in full here). The disposal of that request quickly turned very ugly after DurhamContinue reading “‘A grubby little police force’”

Blind in one Eye

Much has already been written on this website about the well-publicised innocence claim of Robin Garbutt, convicted of brutally murdering his wife in April 2011 (read here). A jury at Teesside Crown Court found that, a year earlier, he had bludgeoned his wife to death whilst she lay sleeping in bed above the village shopContinue reading “Blind in one Eye”

Dr Truthseeker loses her moral compass

Over the past three months, a number of articles have been added to this website on the subject of a murder, in 2010, at Melsonby Village Store and Post Office in North Yorkshire. At the conclusion of a criminal trial that took place a year later, at Teesside Crown Court, the judge and jury foundContinue reading “Dr Truthseeker loses her moral compass”

Latest Garbutt application to CCRC ‘still under review’

The Criminal Case Review Commission has confirmed that the latest application to review the murder conviction of Robin Garbutt, submitted on 5th December, 2019, is still under consideration. No date has been indicated by the watchdog’s press office as to when the decision will be communicated to his legal representative, Martin Rackstraw of Russell-Cooke solicitors.Continue reading “Latest Garbutt application to CCRC ‘still under review’”