The death of notorious police killer Harry Roberts as a free man at the age of 89 has provoked fierce condemnation from a leading policing union, which stated he should have spent his entire life behind bars.
The Murders That Shocked a Nation
Harry Roberts was sentenced to life in prison for the execution of three unarmed police officers in Shepherd's Bush, west London, in 1966. The victims were Detective Sergeant Christopher Head, 30, Detective Constable David Wombwell, 25, and Police Constable Geoffrey Fox, 41. The officers were shot after they approached a van containing Roberts and two other men following an armed robbery.
As Det Con Wombwell began writing in his notebook, Roberts, who was in the front passenger seat, produced a Luger pistol and shot him. Sgt Head ran back towards the police car but was also gunned down by Roberts. PC Fox was killed by another gang member, John Duddy. The brutal murders occurred just days after England's World Cup victory, sending a profound wave of shock across the country.
A Three-Month Manhunt and Eventual Capture
The hunt for Roberts became one of the largest in British history. Wanted posters offering a substantial £1,000 reward were plastered nationwide. His mother, Dorothy, made a tearful televised appeal, begging her son to surrender. Police received over 6,000 alleged sightings, with rumours he had stolen food from a picnic and disguised himself as a woman.
In reality, Roberts evaded capture for three months by camping in Epping Forest, Essex, using survival skills he learned in the Army. He was finally arrested after a night hiding in haystacks, with reports suggesting he seemed 'grateful' to police, having expected to be killed on sight.
Release, Remorse, and Lasting Outrage
Roberts served 45 years in prison before being released from Littlehey prison in Cambridgeshire in 2014. His release was deeply controversial. Then-Home Secretary Theresa May argued he should remain incarcerated, while London Mayor Boris Johnson labelled the decision 'sickening'.
In a prison interview, Roberts told a journalist he was sorry for the impact on the families but expressed no remorse for the acts themselves. He claimed the shootings occurred because the group feared arrest and a long jail sentence, stating: 'We were professional criminals. We don't react the same way as ordinary people.'
Following news of his death in hospital after a short illness, Matt Cane, General Secretary of the Metropolitan Police Federation, issued a strong statement. 'The three officers murdered by Roberts never got a chance to grow old,' he said. 'The life sentence for their loved ones still continues. Life should mean life if you murder a police officer in the course of their duties – Roberts should never have been freed.'
