Former murder suspect Chris Jefferies speaks out

Bristol - The landlord who spent three days being grilled by police over the murder of his tenant last December has spoken out against lurid speculation in the press and the proposed curtailment of Legal Aid.

Last week at Bristol Crown Court, Vincent Tabak was convicted of the murder of Joanna Yeates. Yesterday, Chris Jefferies, the first suspect in that terrible case, appeared on the Radio Four Today programme. His quite short interview can be found here at the moment. As well as talking about the tissue of fabrications and inneundo he suffered at the hands of the tabloids - for which they paid dearly in both the criminal and civil courts - Mr Jefferies said he was dismayed at the current proposals to "reform" the no-win no-fee conditional agreements in civil cases. As usual, this is a cost driven exercise, and as always it is the most needy and the most vulnerable who will suffer. Is there nothing the Cameron Government will not do in order to "pay down the deficit" for these infernal banksters? Mr Jefferies was lucky in a sense because the vitriol that was heaped upon him was so over the top that it was indefensible, especially after Vincent Tabak was charged with the murder of Joanna Yeates and admitted killing her. It is though good to hear a victim of trial by media speaking out on behalf of others instead of wallowing in self-pity. We can only hope the government can learn a lesson from a man who spent 34 years teaching at Clifton College, but when have politicians ever learned anything?