A COMIC book dealer has been found guilty of the murder of schoolgirl Lesley Molseed 32 years ago.
His conviction marks the end of one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history.
Ronald Castree abducted the 11-year-old on October 5 1975 after she left her home in Delamere Road, Rochdale to run an errand to the local shops for her mother.
Putting her into his car he drove to a layby off the Oldham to Ripponden Road. He then forced her up onto Rishworth Moor where he sexually assaulted her and stabbed her 12 times. Her body was found three days later.
But a jury today convicted the former taxi driver of the horrific killing, But today Castree was sentenced to life in prison and was ordered to serve a minimum of 30 years. .
Castree was able to live the life of a free man for more than 30 years after "gentle giant" Stefan Kiszko was wrongly convicted of the murder.
Confession
It followed a false confession he said police had bullied him into.
He served 16 years in jail before being freed on appeal in 1992 after a fresh police investigation revealed he could not have produced the bodily fluid left behind on the little girl's clothes.
Stefan died a broken man at the age of 41 just before Christmas 1993.
His mother Charlotte, who had always believed in her son's innocence and campaigned for his release, died six months later.
Castree, from Brandon Crescent, Shaw in Oldham, had been convicted of abducting and sexually assaulting another little girl from Rochdale in similar circumstances just nine months after killing Lesley - but despite this he had never been a suspect in the case or the later reinvestigation.
The 53-year-old was brought to justice after police took a DNA swab when he was arrested on suspicion of another unrelated matter. Thanks to astonishing scientific advances experts had been able to extract a DNA profile from samples taken from Lesley's clothing. Castree was a billion to one match.
The jury's majority verdict follows 12 day trial at Bradford Crown Court. Lesley's mum April was in court throughout. She told the jury how Lesley was "enchanting" and a "little imp".
For more on this story, follow the links on the right of the page.
* IN Tuesday's M.E.N: Living with a monster, an exclusive interview with Castree's former lover.
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It's just a terrible shame that this has taken soo Long.
Thatcher promised to bring back hanging.She never did.Shame really.When you look back.This man is responsible for 3 Deaths.
mauger 9,
So putting to death poor Stephen Kiszko would mean that this heartless ******* would still be free. As who would campain for a dead man?
Speaking Bull, East Tepee said ' ... who would campaign for a dead man?'
Perhaps the same people who campaigned for Hanratty.
Stephen was proved to inocent - Hanratty is still down for that murder as the appeal court found in the early 2000's (from memory not verfied).
Now ask yourself why Dr Crippin is guilty of poisoning & mutilating his wife when he could easily have given her an overdose and no one would be any the wiser.
to stefan - RIP
"Thatcher promised to bring back hanging. She never did. Shame really." - Mauger 9
Would you prefer that Stefan Kiszko had been hanged?
So what happened to these bullying coppers who sent an innocent man to jail? No doubt living off their fat pensions somewhere. Shouldn't they be on trial also?
Dont talk rubbish mauger 9. If Thatcher HAD brought back hanging, poor Stefan Kisko would have been hanged. Its because of miscarriages of justice like these, that the return of the death penalty is always a bad idea. The Birmingham Six, The Guilford Four... need I go on?
I actually think that life imprisonment as a notorious nonce is a fate worse than death.
Hope you rot Castree.
My sympathies go out to the parents, and to those who have also lost children to cruel brutes.
If this man is guilty, then the fact he carried on his life while he knew an innocent man and his family suffered for his vile crime, is equally despicable.
The NHS pays for patients to have healthcare abroad. The Prison Service should pay to have monsters like Castree sent to China and Iran periodically to be dripped in Acid and other wonderful methods of torture.
How can you live a life whilst an innocent person is rotting in prison. Not only that but the amount of beatings and abuse the innocent guy got - living in fear every single minute for a crime you didn't do, it's just horrific!
This evil man is not just responsible for the horrific murder of a child,but also the tragic deaths of an innocent man broken by his experiences in prison,and his indomitable mother.All our thoughts should be with the families of Lesley Molseed and Stefan Kiszko who have gone through the most terrible ordeal over three decades.
If Frau Kiszko hadn't been the tenacious loving mother that she was, refusing to give up hope of her son's eventual exoneration, none of us would have been any the wiser as to the terrible injustice done to Stefan Kiszko. Ronald Castree would still have been free to walk the streets today.
Beasts like Castree (and Brady) fear absolute disempowerment more than death. Perhaps drugging as well as solitary incarceration (so they are less able to prey on and feed off others). The law (we need to move away from the adverse system which favours these beasts and itself preys on the vulnerable like Stefan Kizko), the Courts and the Prison Service do not yet handle such as them in the right way. We must disempower such beasts absolutely.
well said TJC, DIDSBURY, i think you'll find mauger 9 frequently talks a lot of rubbish on this site. i'm sick of reading his right wing claptrap...
Edski Vega, Nottingham.
What a wonderful idea!
This story moved me to tears, imagine for just one moment how the injustice tortured this poor innocent mans mother only to see him die and never knowing the true despicable peodiophil murderer would be caught. As for the police that BULLIED him into this false confession, why are they not named? They must have known he was innocent; how could they go home and sleep in their beds? I hope each and every one of them suffer and rot in hell for their part in this crucifixion upon a harmless man and did you care after he was released?
What breaks my heart even more is he only ever wished after all he had been through to lead a normal life, not one world did he utter of revenge for this, shame on you so called detectives you have ruined so many lives and made a mockery of the fine up standing colleges you had the audacity to work along side with. Well you had your arrest you looked good at the time, how very ugly you all look now.
This evil creature is not to blame for poor Stefan - that lies with West Yorkshire Police. When are they on trial?
If the death penalty was to be brought back it would have to be accompanied by a huge improvement in the quality of policing.
I do not blame the forensic people on this occasion as they had the evidence which would have proved that Stefan could not have been the killer.
The fact that this disgusting man was allowed to remain free for 32 years
Justice has now been done for Lesley but an innocent man was robbed of his life and people like Mauger 9 should remember that.
One of the reasons why the death sentence was abolished was because it was used a but willy-nilly in the '50's and two or three people were hanged who should'nt have been.
I think there is an argument for it where there is absolute 100% certainty you have got the right person and I do feel that Brady, Hindley, Fred West, Sutcliffe and Shipman should have been hanged.
However, if there is the slightest doubt, it should not be used evidencesometimes
Well said, captainjane.
I wonder what the police has to say now ,except for excuses. When professionals knowingly make "mistakes" then they are as guilty as Ronald Castree.
To Mr Angry,
Yes let's bring back hanging.
And lets also change the law so that the Police, Jurers, Judges, Reporters who contribute to a miscariage of justice where a person is wrongly convicted and put to death also must suffer the same fate??
Food for thought eh?
Mr Thoughtful Bury
To Captain Jane,
Truly admirable sentiments.
Back at the time you would have been like the rest of the baying hounds? Ready to condemn an innocent man to his fate on Hearsay Evidence and police bullying and possibly brutality.
I knew Kevin and I said at the time, I even said it to the police, Kevin never did this he's not capable of such a thing"
The general opinion was "He must have done it"
We rely on these people to do a job for us to bring to justice the guilty. We're failed time after time after time by people who should be in jaol themselves!
Mr Angry,
Your call to hang people where there is 100% certainty that they are guilty presumably reflects a desire to punish them as much as possible for their crimes. However, you then undermine your own argument by citing Brady, Hindley, Fred West, Sutcliffe and Shipman. Brady wants to die and is being force-fed against his wishes, Hindley was tormented for nearly forty years by her continued imprisonment, and West & Shipman both committed suicide because it was preferable to spending the rest of their lives inside. In extreme cases like these, capital punishment would be a preferable option for the offenders.
i hope he rots in hell !