22.03.19 Look out for later related articles
By Mark Watts
Police saw diplomat Sir Peter Hayman as a prolific paedophile and were devastated when he escaped prosecution in 1978.
Hayman, the late senior MI6 officer who sometimes worked under diplomatic cover, detailed his sexual abuse of children in “diaries” that police seized from his flat after a package of “obscene literature” was found and traced to him. Hayman’s diaries were not simply, as often described, his “fantasies”.
Bryan Collins, the detective at Scotland Yard who sent a file on Hayman in 1978 to the then director of public prosecutions (DPP), fully expecting him to be charged, has supplied a disturbing statement on the case to the inquiry into child sexual abuse.
He describes the Hayman affair – together with the thwarting of a separate investigation into Sir Cyril Smith, the late paedophile Liberal MP – as a “cover-up”.
“I remain concerned that, given the nature of the content of the diaries of Peter Hayman, of which I recall there were approximately 48 large files with 100’s of pages, setting out in detail what he had done, it would have been clear to many people in positions of power how serious this was, and that action needed to be taken.”
His statement is due to be presented to the inquiry next Wednesday when Collins is expected to be called to testify during the third week of hearings in its Westminster investigation.
However, the inquiry has so far adopted the practice of not adducing written statements from former police officers, who, like Collins, testify to cover-ups for prominent people who are suspected paedophiles.
The seized diaries marked out an especially dangerous paedophile, a conclusion on Peter Hayman backed up by Tony Daly, author of ‘Playland’, who witnessed him take part in the shockingly depraved sexual abuse of two brothers aged eight and ten.
Collins recalls in his statement how his chief inspector told him of the DPP’s decision: “We had received orders from above, and we were all upset about it.”
“By this stage, the DPP had been dealing with the case. It is significant to me that the decision not to prosecute Peter Hayman was made shortly after Sir David Napley got in touch with me.”
“He said to me he would talk to Hetherington… the DPP himself.”
In an echo of the Smith case from 1970, when the DPP’s office decided against prosecuting the Liberal MP even though investigating officers were sure that the case was compelling, Collins will tell the inquiry: “There was enough evidence to prosecute Peter Hayman under the Post Office Act, and this was my advice sent to the DPP.”
A file note by Jeremy Naunton, a solicitor at the DPP’s office, records that Hayman had “suicidal tendencies because of the case”.
Collins says that he has “no knowledge of Peter Hayman having suicidal tendencies, but I would describe him as a worried man.”
He met Naunton, he says. “We discussed in particular the charges to be brought against Peter Hayman as we were clarifying some dates. We didn’t conclude this meeting, and I was expecting to meet him again. But before we could, I was then informed the decision had been taken not to prosecute.”
Collins says in his statement to the inquiry that Hayman was cautioned instead.
He is “clear”, he says, that the DPP “had originally been intending to prosecute Peter Hayman.”
Naunton, in his statement to the inquiry, says that he was unaware that Hetherington had intended to charge Hayman before changing his mind.
After Hayman’s escape from prosecution reached the Press, Collins and a colleague were suspended pending an investigation into the leak. He adds: “It remains my view that the powers that be wanted ‘a body’ for this.”
Collins retired from Scotland Yard in 1983 after 21 years’ service.
Hayman featured prominently in MI5’s ‘paedophile files’, which I revealed earlier this month.
Mark Watts (@MarkWatts_1) is the co-ordinator of the FOIA Centre.
Peter Hayman avoided obscenity charge after David Napley’s personal plea to DPP
PREVIOUSLY
MI5 hands over secret ‘paedophile files’ on six MPs and three other ‘VIPs’ to CSA inquiry Revealed: MI5’s ‘paedophile files’ on six politicians, two spymasters and a mandarin
Ken Clarke, Nick Brown and two Lords to be quizzed by CSA inquiry about Whips’ Office
Tom O’Carroll: PIE used link to Roy Jenkins in lobbying effort for cut in age of consent
CSA inquiry to MI5: tell us what you knew of paedophile claims about Peter Morrison MP
Lord Steel faces questions at CSA inquiry over deriding claims against Cyril Smith MP
Police raised concerns about undue interest of Sir Michael Havers in ‘Playland’ 1975 trial
Roddam Twiss – son of former Black Rod – ‘went to party to watch sexual abuse of boys’
Playland review: evocative but troubling book testifies to scandal of abuse by VIPs
Cyril Smith, Rochdale and a lot of startling disclosures to CSA inquiry ignored by media
Cyril Smith’s Tory councillor boyfriend Harry Wild ‘groomed’ young prison inmates
Carole Kasir: coroner was blocked from asking ‘incriminating’ questions of ex-lover
Mike Veale: vilification of investigation into Edward Heath risks harm to abuse survivors
CSA inquiry lacks ‘investigative capability’ to probe ‘cover-up’ claims, warns Mike Veale
Mike Veale slams Keith Vaz’s intervention in Operation Conifer’s probe into Edward Heath
Operation Conifer: Mike Veale ‘appalled’ by previous cover-ups over child sexual abuse
Edward Heath: police delayed Conifer report to avoid overshadowing Tory conference
Exaro helped Britain turn corner on dark chapter of cover-up over child sexual abuse
Revealed: detectives devastated after DPP let off ‘dangerous paedophile’ Peter Hayman
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