The mother of one of the “Babes in the Wood” murder victims has told the astonishing story of her life in a paperback published by Penguin Books today (Thursday 31 August).
Michelle Hadaway, 66, lost her daughter when double murderer Russell Bishop killed nine-year-old best friends Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows in Wild Park, Moulsecoomb, on Thursday 9 October 1986.
Just over a year later, Bishop was sensationally acquitted of murdering Karen and Nicky by a jury at Lewes Crown Court.
In her book, Michelle remembered hearing the jury’s verdict: “Nothing could ever bring Karen and Nicky back and we knew this.
“But I had hoped for some peace, knowing that the man who had committed these brutal murders would be locked up, unable hurt anyone else, paying for his crimes.
“I wanted justice … I knew we did not have it.”
The travesty fuelled a gruelling 31-year battle for justice. Michelle’s book charts some of the events that led to a significant change to the law of double jeopardy which had previously protected someone from being tried twice for the same crime.
Two years after the trial at Lewes, Bishop struck again. He snatched a seven-year-old girl off the street, molested her and left her for dead near the Devil’s Dyke.
Miraculously, Rachael Watts survived and proved to be arrogant Bishop’s undoing, with a remarkable memory of her ordeal that helped to put him behind bars for life.
It would take much more before Bishop faced justice for the murder of the Babes in the Wood, as Karen and Nicky became known, in part because of where they were found.
But advances in the forensic science of DNA gave police and prosecutors the evidence they needed to persuade the courts to put Bishop on trial for murder for a second time.
Michelle describes that second trial at the Central Criminal Court – better known as the Old Bailey – in London in 2018.
This time Bishop was found guilty and, just over three years later, while still in prison, he died of cancer.
Michelle said: “He was just an evil monster.”
He not only killed the two girls but tried to implicate Nicky’s father Barrie Fellows – and Michelle said: “Poor Barrie. A lot of people believed the nasty rumours that were being put around.”
The judge at the Old Bailey trial, Sir Nigel Sweeney, known as Mr Justice Sweeney, praised the quiet dignity of Michelle and Barrie and their respective families.
Throughout her long ordeal, Michelle said that she started out keeping “a bit of a journal” until one day she thought that she could write a book.
The idea became firmer after Bishop was finally found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey – 32 years after he killed Karen and Nicky.
She said: “The not guilty verdict (at the first trial) pulled us apart. My life was on hold for over 30 years and it was a bit of a journal.
“It was about my struggles – my sad and lonely road I’ve been on with my family. It’s been one thing after another.
“I’ve had a lifetime of pain and suffering and I need a bit of closure. Of course Karen and Nicky are always in my heart but now I need to grieve for all the other people I’ve lost.”
After the first trial, when the police said that they weren’t looking for anyone else, it looked as though Bishop had literally got away with murder.
Michelle said: “I had to be strong for my children. You have to go on.”
Her book describes the terrible toll that it took of her as well as her husband Lee, who died at 50, and their marriage.
For a while she turned to drink. She smoked heavily. Eventually she started to express herself with tattoos, remembering those she loved and having inspirational words inked on her.
She said: “Never lose hope. With pain comes strength. I fought my own battles my own way. It’s the love of my family that’s got me through.
“You’ve got to have hope. You’ve got to have the strength to carry on but it does take its toll.”
After moving away from her home town of Brighton, Michelle cared for not only her family but others in difficulty including through charity appeals.
But her family have been her mainstay – giving her purpose as well as support – and three of her four surviving children now have children of their own.
Just over two months ago, her first great grandchild was born, a boy called Albie. Michelle said: “This is my new chapter.”
My Girl by Michelle Hadaway is published in paperback today (Thursday 31 August) by Penguin Books priced at £8.99.
