Dad calls for son's body to be exhumed (From Southend Standard)
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Dad calls for son's body to be exhumed
11:20am Friday 2nd November 2012 in Echo News Exclusive By Jon Austin
Les Balkwell with his son Lee in the background
THE DAD of a man found dead trapped under a cement mixer more than 10 years ago is calling for police to exhume the body to get to the truth.
Lee Balkwell, 33, was found dead between the drum and chasis of a cement mixer at Baldwins Farm, South Ockendon, in July 2002.
Despite questions remaining around the circumstances of the death and a 2008 inquest ruling he died as a result of “gross negligence manslaughter, no one has ever been arrested.
Essex Police’s initial investigation and two further reviews were criticised in a major Independet Police Complaints Commission report in January. In 2009 an independent review of the case by West Mindlands Police made 91 recommendations to offciers in Essex for further inquiry.
The case is still being investigated by the Essex and Kent serious crime squad. Les Balkwell said he was told by senior investigating officer detective chief superintendedt Lee Catlin one of the recommendations from the West Midlands force was detectives should consider with the CPS and coroner exhuming Lee’s body.
This has yet to happen and Mr Catlin retires in December. He said: “That recommedation was made three years ago and it still hasn’t been done.
This is no easy thing to want to have done, and my family are aghast at the thought, but there are doscrepancies between the post mortem and subsequent reviews of it.”
Mr Balwell feels the body should be looked at again in terms of injuries sustained to see if any were the result of an attack before he was crushed by the drum.
He also believes personal posessions buried with Lee could hold vital clues.
He added: “The information we have gathered over the years points to the consecutive reviews by Essex Police avoiding an exhumation, but there is now a very strong indication that evidence buried with Lee, his personal effects, should be looked at and the truth won’t come out unless he is exhumated.”
An Essex Police spokeswoman said: “The investigation is ongoing and no comment will be made.”
She said assistant cheif constable Gary Beutridge would take over the case when Mr Catlin retires.
Comments(5)
SpiffSpaffington1984
says...
5:38pm Fri 2 Nov 12
Eric Whim
says...
5:43pm Fri 2 Nov 12
drum and chasis
chassis
Brunning999
says...
10:59am Sun 4 Nov 12
SpiffSpaffington1984 wrote:Yes I would but if no evidence is found and no body is going to speak about it and torture has been ruled out what more can be achieved ?
Wouldnt you if it was your son? I would if it was mine. You only have to read the story about how these mixers are cleaned and the death to see it was no accident, anybody can see that. Ive heard many people talk about this case over the years and they all say it was clearly a cover up. I feel sorry for the guy he reminds me of my own father and i know if something like that happened to me he'd do everything he could to get to the truth too. Good luck les
It will destroy him.
A very true statement is you cannot not get blood out of a stone and far to often many people lose family horrifically then go on to devote the rest of their lives to achieve what only they believe is the truth and in reality if there is no evidence and no body talks NOTHING FURTHER CAN BE DONE and that is what is the real truth and not what people believe to be the truth.
Sorry if anything.new was to come to light okay if nothing does only conspiracy theories are their hope and they destroy families with false hopes.
Fact and evidence is THE ONLY ANSWER !
BEW
says...
9:45pm Sun 4 Nov 12
Brunning999 wrote:Don't be so sure there is no evidence & that nobody is talking.(photos)
SpiffSpaffington1984 wrote:Yes I would but if no evidence is found and no body is going to speak about it and torture has been ruled out what more can be achieved ?
Wouldnt you if it was your son? I would if it was mine. You only have to read the story about how these mixers are cleaned and the death to see it was no accident, anybody can see that. Ive heard many people talk about this case over the years and they all say it was clearly a cover up. I feel sorry for the guy he reminds me of my own father and i know if something like that happened to me he'd do everything he could to get to the truth too. Good luck les
It will destroy him.
A very true statement is you cannot not get blood out of a stone and far to often many people lose family horrifically then go on to devote the rest of their lives to achieve what only they believe is the truth and in reality if there is no evidence and no body talks NOTHING FURTHER CAN BE DONE and that is what is the real truth and not what people believe to be the truth.
Sorry if anything.new was to come to light okay if nothing does only conspiracy theories are their hope and they destroy families with false hopes.
Fact and evidence is THE ONLY ANSWER !
Brunning999 says...
5:12pm Fri 2 Nov 12
It is tragic that his son died and it is tragic that Mr Bakewell is killing himself with the pain.