Police have been branded “utterly incompetent” after taking nearly a week to launch a murder probe after a notorious criminal was shot dead.
Essex Police was accused of “one of the most terrible mistakes in policing I’ve ever heard of” by a former Flying Squad commander, after the death of John “Goldfinger” Palmer was initially recorded as non-suspicious.
The 64-year-old’s body was found in South Weald, Brentwood, on Wednesday, June 24.
But a post-mortem examination carried out six days later on Tuesday determined the cause of death was gunshot wounds to the chest.
A force spokesman told the Mirror: "Police and paramedics who attended the scene initially assessed the death as non-suspicious due to pre-existing injuries due to recent surgery.
“Closer inspection raised doubt and a post-mortem was conducted to establish the cause of death."
Former Metropolitan Police chief John O'Connor told the Sun: “When someone as notorious as John Palmer is discovered dead on your patch then surely it's common sense to be absolutely sure of the facts about how he died.
"But one minute these bunglers were saying it was natural causes then almost a week later it's suddenly murder. What a joke.
"It's one of the most terrible mistakes in policing I've ever heard of."
Detectives would be "days behind" in the investigation and may have "completely lost the crime scene", he added.
Palmer was cleared of handling proceeds from the £26 million Brink's-Mat bullion raid at Heathrow in 1983, but his alleged involvement earned him the nickname "Goldfinger".
In 2001 he was jailed for timeshare fraud, after building a multimillion-pound business that cheated thousands of Britons who wanted a holiday home in the sun.
Palmer had spent the last eight years on bail following his arrest in Tenerife in 2007, where he was charged with fraud, firearm possession and money laundering.
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Werrett, who is leading the murder investigation, said: "My team would like to speak to anybody who was around Sandpit Lane between 4pm and 6pm on Wednesday June 24. The area is rural but is often used by dog walkers and joggers.
"Did you see any people or suspicious vehicles in the area? Did you witness anything out of the ordinary?"
He added: "Officers are at the scene making enquiries and I would urge anyone with information, no matter how small, to come forward."
Anyone with information should contact Essex Police on 01245 282103.
