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Killer fighting to clear name

By S. C. Lomax

THE CONVICTED killer of a Belper man has told of his fight to clear his name.

Michael Brown was jailed in 2002 when a jury at Derby Crown Court found him guilty of murdering his stepfather, Derek Kinder, of Ladywood Avenue in Belper, whose dismembered corpse was found in a suitcase in a Newark river.

Brown has always maintained his innocence and has recently spoken from his prison cell in a bid to let the outside world know the pain he and his family are experiencing.

"At present I am serving a life sentence for a murder which I did not commit.", he said.

"My situation is made doubly difficult in that the victim of this crime was my stepfather.

"Both myself and my family have had so much to deal with as we try to fight this miscarriage of justice.

"It is, however, a fight we all intend to win. From my point of view the hardest thing is being labelled, as I wrongly am, as a murderer. It is also very painful to watch my family suffer in the way that they have had to. On top of all of this I have to cope with being separated from my family, whom I love, until we can all right this wrong and be together again."

Brown claims that at the time of his stepfather's death, in May or June 2001, he was in serious trouble with a loan shark company.

He had borrowed money after picking up a business card offering 'Quik Cash' but was unable to meet the repayments.

Brown says he has no doubt that the loan sharks committed the murder, claiming that he found them at the home he shared with his stepfather where they allegedly informed Brown that Kinder had had an "accident."

The Justice for Michael Brown campaign group, established by his friends and relatives, are urging anyone who has been offered 'Quik Cash' to contact them in the hope that those who they believe were truly responsible for Derek Kinder's death can be traced.

Brown remains optimistic for the future and is hoping he will be given the opportunity to appeal against his conviction.

"The day will come for me when I get to clear my name. Until then my fight and struggle goes on," he said.

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