CPS urged to re-open investigation into death of Little Girl Blue in 1975

  • Video report by ITV News correspondent Paul Davies

The Crown Prosecution Service has been urged to reopen their investigation into the death of an eight-year-old girl found dead in Birmingham in 1975.

Helen Bailey's body was found in the Booths Farm Area of the city more than four decades ago and her death was originally recorded as an open verdict.

Coroner Louise Hunt said she accepted new pathological evidence that found Helen was strangled and then suffered a neck wound. Mrs Hunt recorded her death as unlawful killing.

She added that she would write to the CPS to tell them to re-consider their decision not to re-investigate the case.

Helen's brother Adrian and mother Margaret were at the inquest. Credit: PA

Mrs Hunt's ruling comes after a suspect made three "entirely consistent" confessions about killing an eight-year-old girl.

John Sir, formerly known as Kenneth Etchells, made three admissions in 1978 and 1979, allegedly telling a doctor he had strangled Helen Bailey in 1975 and then used a pen knife to cut her throat.

Helen, from Great Barr, Birmingham, became known in media reports as "Little Girl Blue" after she disappeared, wearing blue clothing, on August 10 1975.

Her body was found near the M6 a day later.

An inquest in 1976 ended with an open verdict after jurors were told a "shallow" throat wound may have been accidental or the result of a practical joke.

Helen's family, including her brother Adrian and mother Margaret have campaigned consistently for decades to have the original verdict overturned.

A fresh inquest was ordered by the High Court last December after an application by the Birmingham Coroner to quash the original verdict.

Giving evidence at the new hearing, Detective Chief Superintendent Caroline Marsh said a cold case review, which led to Sir's questioning in 2014, had left her "absolutely certain" Helen was murdered.

The officer told the hearing: "I have no doubt in my mind. I believe the perpetrator was Kenneth Etchells and there are no outstanding suspects in this inquiry."

Helen, from Great Barr, Birmingham, became known in media reports as Credit: PA

Answering questions from the senior coroner for Birmingham, Louise Hunt, Ms Marsh said despite representations from West Midlands Police, the Crown Prosecution Service had decided there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Sir for murder.

Sir was interviewed at Bloxwich police station over two days in May 2014 after being arrested while in prison.

The new inquest heard Sir's account to doctors and a nurse working at a psychiatric unit in 1978 and 1979 was consistent with pathological evidence that was not available to the police until 2014.

Taking the coroner through Sir's account to police, Ms Marsh told the inquest: "When these statements (from medical staff) were put to him, he admitted making the confessions but he said he did it to get admitted to the hospital.

"He told the police interviewers that he is a very devious person.

"We put it to him that his confessions exactly described what we now know is the method of Helen's death.

"He puts it down to just a coincidence - that he managed to predict the unique method by which Helen was killed. He denied killing Helen Bailey."