Grisly 'gangland' axe murder of couple reviewed by police despite chilling warning

The lad of a mates recovered butchered successful their level successful southbound London successful 1986 is calling connected the nationalist to travel guardant with immoderate accusation astir the grisly murders aft a proceedings ended without conviction

The unsolved axe execution of a mates has been examined by constabulary for the archetypal clip successful 37 years.

Brian Price, 43, and Susan Tetrault, 36, were recovered bare and butchered successful furniture aft a suspected gangland attack. But police closed the lawsuit erstwhile a convicted equipped robber was acquitted of their murders astatine the Old Bailey.

Now, Brian’s adopted lad Ray wants it reopened and the Met Police person requested the forensics file. Ray said: “Brian was a due begetter to me, I beryllium him everything – if it wasn’t for him I could person gone into care. I’m trying to repay that indebtedness present by uncovering retired who killed him.”

Ray, 63, a retired occurrence grooming advisor from Birmingham, said that portion investigating Brian’s execution helium was warned by 1 of his dad’s erstwhile associates: “These are highly unsafe people, don’t get involved.”

Brian and Susan were killed successful her first-floor level successful Clapham, South London, successful July 1986 with an axe she kept to chop wood. Pillows had been enactment implicit their faces and they were truthful mutilated they had to beryllium identified by fingerprints.

Brian was a high-level cause trafficker whose exploits included escaping from a South African jailhouse aft being caught with 6,000 LSD tabs successful 1973. And 3 years earlier their murders, some helium and Susan were jailed for cause smuggling.

Brian was caught taking 80kg of cannabis from Morocco to Cornwall connected a boat. In jailhouse helium met robber Dean Alexander, past 25, and the brace are believed to person planned to import heroin from Turkey with a Cypriot gangster. The woody is thought to person fallen done and the brace had conscionable returned from the Mediterranean land erstwhile Brian and Susan were murdered.

Australian Alexander, past a budding stone guitarist, admitted having been successful Susan’s level connected the nighttime of the killings. He said helium near to sojourn his woman but ended up walking the streets each nighttime due to the fact that helium was incapable to spot her. Brian’s ringing and contacts publication were recovered astatine Alexander’s home. He besides had £1,000 of the dormant man’s cash.

But a assemblage took 90 minutes to acquit him aft a two-week trial. Outside court, helium said: “I consciousness brilliant”. Alexander has changed his sanction and is present the manager of a antagonistic surveillance company. He is joined with a lad and lives successful the southbound of England.

Ray has spoken to Alexander’s brother, a backstage detective, astir the lawsuit and besides enlisted the assistance of a criminologist successful his hunt for justice. And helium is campaigning for the closure of a loophole successful the instrumentality which means that execution cases specified arsenic this one, wherever a fishy is acquitted, tin beryllium classified arsenic “detected/solved”.

He added: “Brian and Susan merit justice. If you knew Brian, oregon person information, delight get successful touch.”

Scotland Yard said: “A fishy was arrested but acquitted successful 1987. Reform of treble jeopardy authorities has enabled retrial of antecedently acquitted defendants if caller oregon compelling grounds comes to light. We invited immoderate caller accusation that whitethorn further enquiries. All acquitted cases are periodically reviewed.”