AN INNOCENT MAN HELL’ FOR FAMILIES
Karen came out of the shop and gave Pope tissue to stop the bleeding and may have put it back in her pocket.
Pope was convicted of Karen’s murder in 2009 and sentenced to life imprisonment. But the Court of Appeal quashed the verdict 12 months on and ordered a retrial after an unidentified female witness changed her evidence. The retrial was scheduled to take place at Newport Crown Court in June 2011 and lasted for several weeks.
Forensic expert Michael Appleby, giving evidence at that retrial, said he believed the two stains could only have occurred on the night of Karen’s death due to their appearance.
It was also claimed by Pope’s former boss Clifford Randall, of Bearing Ltd, that weeks after Karen’s death Pope had drastically altered his appearance by shaving off his hair while he was also no longer wearing his distinctive wax jacket.
Colleague Alan Roberts said he saw Pope at around 7pm in Grand Avenue, Ely, on March 9, 1996, and described him as wearing a jacket and carrying a rucksack.
When Mr Roberts asked Pope the next day if he had been in Grand Avenue Pope denied it was him and said he wasn’t out that night.
Mr Randall overheard the exchange in his office and reported it to the police after seeing an e-fit appeal which bore a likeness to Pope.
Pope was interviewed in the original investigation but told police he had never met Karen.
When he was later asked why he did not tell police about him apparently being bitten by Karen’s dog, Pope said: “Maybe I didn’t want to get involved and that’s it.
“It wasn’t an excuse. It actually happened. I was not making it up.”
In a written statement read out at Pope’s retrial Ginger’s former cellmate Paul James said: “Skipper told me they (he and Karen) had an argument outside his driveway having got out of taxi after being in the pub. They went for a walk to discuss their problems.
“He said he was drunk and can’t remember it all. When they went to Birdies Field she taunted him about who else she had slept with.
“[Skipper] said if he could not have her no-one could. He said he would do a life sentence but would never plead guilty because he would lose Linda (his new girlfriend) and his dad was ill. He said he would go for a manslaughter deal but in the next breath said he could not plead guilty because he would lose it all.”
He added: “Skipper never admitted to me that he killed Karen Skipper.”
At the 2011 retrial a neighbour called Pauline Horton claimed she saw Ginger pursuing Karen down Mill Road at around midnight on March 9, 1996.
She only came forward to police in 2009. She said it was because she believed Mr Skipper was a member of the Hells Angels who would take revenge on her.
Ms Horton said she was on her way to the bathroom when she saw Karen leave the house the couple were staying at and walk down the street with her two dogs, both on leads.
“I came back out and looked through the landing window again. I saw [Phillip] Skipper going across [the road] and I thought: ‘That’s good, he’s going down Birdies Lane with her’.” THE VERDICT On the fifth day of their deliberations, which took more than 23 hours, the jury of seven men and five women at Pope’s retrial returned a guilty verdict by a majority of 11 to one.
In his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Roderick Evans Kt said Pope’s attack and murder of Karen had been the act of a sexual predator.
He said: “You knew where she must have been going with her dogs and you followed her.
“You went to Birdies Field after her. And I am also sure your motive was sexual.
“You took off her lower clothes and thrust her arms behind her back. Then you took her into the river.
“You must have held her under the water for some time to ensure that she died.
“You shunned capture until 2007 when DNA make-up brought the police to your door.”
Pope was sentenced to a minimum of 19 years imprisonment – the same sentence which was handed down to him in 2009. JUSTICE AT LAST FOR KAREN’S FAMILY Karen’s three sisters – Gail Emerson, Dot Scholz and Heidi Mathison – sat in the public gallery at Newport Crown Court throughout the retrial, conducting themselves with complete dignity in spite of the years of torment they had been through.
Following the verdict Ms Mathison, of Timsbury near Bath, said: “As a family we have been through 15 years of hell – Phillip Skipper’s family has been through the same.
“Justice has now been done and our beloved Karen can rest in peace. We would like to thank family and friends for their continued support over the trials that we have had to endure.”
Mrs Emerson, of Old St Mellons, Cardiff, said: “There was a five-year age difference between us but we were really close, so we looked out for each other as well.
“Obviously we know it won’t bring Karen back to us but we have got justice for Karen.”
A tearful Janet Skipper, sister-inlaw of the late Mr Skipper, spoke of her relief and hopes for reconciliation between the two families.
She said: “It’s been 15 years of hell for both families. We didn’t like what happened with Ginger being badmouthed.
“It’s been proved that it wasn’t him now. They can both rest in peace now. Both families can start rebuilding.”
At her home in Tremorfa, as news of the verdict came through, Karen’s mum Josie Scholz screamed for joy at the news she had been waiting for since 1996.
Speaking in an emotional interview following Pope’s conviction, she said: “It’s been like living in limbo but it’s all over now and he is where he should be – that’s the main thing.
“In my heart of hearts I couldn’t really believe it [was Ginger]. I knew they had their ups and downs but they were always so lovey-dovey, I couldn’t think anybody that had been like that could hurt anybody else.
“I was a bit annoyed at the way Karen was portrayed in court – she was not like that, not one little bit.
“She was a lovely person and I’m not saying it because she’s my daughter – just ask people that knew her.
“Karen hasn’t seen any of my greatgrandchildren and she has got nephews and nieces. But she is looking down and seeing them from up there.
“I think about her every day as I’m going around. I come down in the morning, look at her picture, and say ‘Morning Kar’.”
Pope maintained his innocence and launched an appeal 2012, but this was dismissed by then Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, Igor Judge.
He said: “We can find no basis for concluding this conviction [against Mr Pope] should be quashed by the application of ‘lurking doubt’. The appeal must be dismissed.”