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Synopsis:

"The money is great but being free is priceless."

Colin Stagg, falsely accused of murdering Rachel Nickell, tells today how he feels no sympathy for Barry George because of his history of stalking vulnerable women. Mr Stagg, who has just been awarded more than £700,000 for wrongful arrest and prosecution, moved to distance himself from Mr George - acquitted last month of murdering TV star Jill Dando.


Mr Stagg, 45, said: "I do feel sorry for George because he has been behind bars all these years when he was clearly not guilty on the evidence. But I can feel no sympathy for the man himself because he is a serial stalker of women who has also admitted attempted rape.

"I can understand police pointing the finger at him because of his previous conviction. But he's not like me. I had never had a single conviction until police accused me of murdering Rachel Nickell. There's a big difference between me and Barry George."

Mr Stagg spent a year in jail awaiting trial for the 1992 murder of Ms Nickell, who was stabbed 49 times as her two-year-old son Alex looked on. He was acquitted in 1994 but the cloud of suspicion hung over him until a second man, Robert Napper, who stands trial in November, was charged with the murder last year.

Yesterday the Standard revealed that Mr Stagg had finally won a long legal battle with the Home Office for £700,000 compensation, He likened the sum - far larger than any previous award for wrongful arrest - to winning the Lottery. For years he was unable to shake off the stigma of being accused of murdering Ms Nickell, 23, a former part-time model, as she walked across Wimbledon Common. ...

Publish date:

14 August 2008

Author:

Robert Mendick

Source:

Evening Standard

Media: