Man wrongly jailed for woman's murder after 'honeytrap' wants to meet her family
A man wrongly jailed for one of Britain’s most infamous murders says he is desperate to meet the victim’s family.
Colin Stagg, 60, spent 13 months in prison after being set up in a “honeytrap” operation by detectives investigating the despicable killing of Rachel Nickell, 23.
She was stabbed 49 times in front of her two-year-old son Alex on Wimbledon Common in July 1992. After a year in custody awaiting trial, an Old Bailey judge threw out the case against Colin, branding the undercover plot to snare him “reprehensible”.
Colin said Rachel’s family continued to hold him in anger and contempt until schizophrenic Robert Napper was identified as her real killer in 2008. Colin, who is now homeless and living in temporary accommodation after blowing his £700,000 Home Office compensation payout, said: “I’ve always had an incredible amount of sympathy for the family since it first happened.
Rachel Nickell was murdered on Wimbledon Common in July 1992 (PA)“It really depressed me that they thought I was still guilty for so long and only got off on a technicality. I just wanted to shake them and say, ‘I did not do this’. There is no way I could have done it. It is not in my nature.
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“Looking back on it, they know now I am innocent. But I would still like to meet Andre (Hanscombe, Rachel’s then partner) and his son. I would just shake them by the hand and say I am so sorry for all that happened to their family. People say I’ve had it bad enough, but it has been so much worse for them.”
Colin said there were first murmurs of a meeting being arranged a couple of months ago but it never happened. He added: “I am not sure why it fell through. But I would like to put that offer to them publicly. I am certainly up for it but only as long as they are happy. I am not going to force it but I would like to meet them.
“I don’t want to bring everything up again. It was a long time ago but I’d like to tell them I’ve always been on their side. I’ve always had a lot of respect and sympathy for them. I know they will never get over what happened, but I just hope they can move forward.”
Rachel Nickell murder victim with boy friend Andre Hanscombe and son MSI (Mirrorpix)Colin was freed in September 1994 when Mr Justice Ognall ruled that the police had shown “deceptive conduct of the grossest kind”. Undercover officer “Lizzie James” had been employed to seduce him, promising a relationship in the hope of getting a confession.
But Colin said even after he was cleared he had to cope with doubts over his guilt, right up until a DNA breakthrough helped convict Napper. The adverse public opinion not only cost him jobs as he was deemed “almost unemployable” but also led to personal abuse from many who still thought he was responsible.
Colin said he has been battling to rebuild his life, but was made homeless in April this year when his partner kicked him out of the home in Farnborough, Hants, he had lived in since 2016. He is in temporary accommodation in Aldershot and said he hopes to be rehoused by the end of the year. Colin was awarded £706,000 to take into account his missed employment opportunities but it has all gone.
Robert Napper eventually admitted carrying out the attack on Rachel Nickell (PA Wire)He added: “I helped a lot of people out – my ex-partner, family and friends. But some people I thought were friends turned their back on me when the money dried up. I still think about it. I’ve always been good with money but cannot believe I got through it so quickly.”
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