The Pembrokeshire Murders killer John Cooper requests appeal for double murder convictions

John Cooper, 78, was jailed in 2011 after being found guilty of the murder of four people

A man who was jailed for life for two double murders has asked for his conviction to be reviewed.

John Cooper, 78, was jailed after being found guilty of the murder of Richard and Helen Thomas in 1985 as well as the killing of Peter and Gwenda Dixon in 1989.

Cooper has always denied his involvement in the deaths.

John Cooper always denied his involvement in the murders Credit: Dyfed-Powys Police

Police were unable to charge anyone for the killings until a renewed investigation in 2006, when both cases were reopened.

Cooper was eventually found guilty of the murders and was sentenced to four life sentences in 2011.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) have been contacted for comment.

Cooper tried to appeal in 2012 when his legal team claimed there was 'clear room for confusion in the jury's mind' during the trial, which was later rejected.

In a statement on Monday, Dyfed-Powys Police said, "We have been advised that an application for an appeal against conviction has been lodged by John Cooper with the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

"HDPP will comply with our obligations in any judicial process, but consider it inappropriate to provide specific comments relating to the application made by John Cooper at this time."

Cooper famously appeared on TV show Bullseye a month before killing the Dixons

Cooper's infamous appearance on the television gameshow Bullseye a month before he killed the Dixons was used as crucial evidence to match him to witness descriptions.

The ITV series The Pembrokeshire Murders which starred Luke Evans depicted the pursuit of Cooper - and attracted millions of viewers.

Richard and Helen Thomas and Peter and Gwenda Dixon (l-r)

  • The Thomas murders

Brother and sister, Richard and Helen Thomas were murdered in their home in Milford Haven on December 22 1985. The killer shot the siblings and then burnt down the mansion where they lived with the bodies inside.

Police were unsuccessful in catching the perpetrator who had a history of violent crime before carrying out his first known murders.

Before their deaths, Cooper had previously been charged with vehicle theft, being drunk and disorderly assaulting a police officer and assault.

Husband and wife, Peter and Gwenda Dixon were on holiday in Pembrokeshire when they were murdered by John Cooper. Credit: PA

  • The Dixon murders

Almost four years passed before John Cooper went on to kill again. This time it was Peter and Gwenda Dixon.

The couple from Oxfordshire were on holiday and out walking along the coastal path in Pembrokeshire on June 29 1989 when they were killed. Their bodies were found along the path.

Like Richard and Helen Thomas, the Dixons had been shot at point-blank range.

Before killing them, Cooper tied them up and demanded they hand over their bank card and pin details. He used this to withdraw money from their account from multiple cashpoints.

The police were able to determine that the same shotgun was used to kill the Dixons as had been used to kill the Thomas' nearly four years prior.

John Cooper's appearance on Bullseye was used to demonstrate his resemblance to the police sketch of the killer.

Cooper went on to commit several other crimes. In 1996 he attacked a group of young people in Milford Haven, raping one teenage girl at knifepoint and sexually assaulting another.

The following year he attacked a women in her home in Pembrokeshire at gunpoint. He bound and gagged her but she managed to escape.

He was then arrested in 1998 for a series of home invasions and sentenced to 16 years in prison for 30 counts of robbery and burglary.

It was not until 2006, when Detective Superintendent Steve Wilkins reopened the Thomas and Dixon double murder cases, that Cooper was found to be a murderer as well.

The reopened investigation was called Operation Ottawa and used advances in technology and forensics to find new evidence.

Through this, Dyfed-Powys Police were able to link microscopic DNA and fibres from the murders to the burglaries that Cooper had perpetrated and was already serving time for.

DNA evidence revealed a drop of Peter Dixon's blood on a pair of khaki shorts taken from Cooper's home and the police managed to recover the shotgun used in both double murders.

In 2009, just a few months after Cooper was released from prison, he was re-arrested and later sentenced to four life sentences for the murders.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know