Each week, viewers of White House Farm are riveted by the ITV drama as it tells the harrowing true story of the Bamber murders in 1985. DCI 'Taff' Jones led the case at the time which was initially cited as a murder-suicide. Taff, played by The Irishman and Line of Duty star Stephen Graham, ruled that Sheila Bamber had killed her mother, father and twin sons before taking her own life. However, after more evidence arose, Jeremy Bamber was then arrested and tried for murder, before being sentenced to life imprisonment. But who was DCI Taff Jones? And what happened to him after Jeremy's arrest?
© Photo: ITVWho was DCI Taff Jones?
DCI Taff Jones was a Welsh detective who was deputy head of Essex Police CID. In the ITV drama, Taff is portrayed as a hot-headed, passionate detective, determined to pursue the Bamber case as a murder-suicide and reluctant to explore other avenues. However, the portrayal of DCI Jones has been criticised by Essex Police. Detective Constable Michael Clarke told The Sun: "A lot of people are very unhappy about the portrayal of Taff Jones. They are making him a scapegoat."
MORE: White House Farm: What happened to Jeremy Bamber's girlfriend Julie Mugford?
© Photo: ITVDCI Taff Jones, portrayed by Stephen Graham, in White House Farm
The DC also explained that once more evidence arose, after Jeremy Bamber's girlfriend Julie Mugford changed her statement, Taff's mind was "definitely changed." Former Detective Sergeant Ken Luxford also told the paper: "It is a character assassination of Taff."
What happened to DCI Taff Jones after the case?
Shortly after Julie Mugford provided more evidence to the police, Jeremy Bamber was arrested on suspicion of the murder of his mother, father, sister Sheila and her two sons in September 1985. Sadly, however, DCI Taff Jones died suddenly shortly before Jeremy Bamber's trial. In October 1986, it was reported that the detective died after falling off a ladder in his home.
MORE: David Tennant's family: who are the Deadwater Fell star's wife Georgia and kids?
© Photo: ITVJeremy Bamber, played by Freddie Fox, in White House Farm
What led to Jeremy's arrest?
As well as the evidence surrounding the crime, Jeremy's ex-girlfriend, Julie Mugford, was also a major reason why he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Julie admitted to the police that Jeremy had talked about murdering his family on several occasions, even going into details on how he would cover up the crimes, and suggesting that he could pin it on his sister, Sheila. In fact, her testimony was so important to the prosecution's case that the judge told the jury that they could find Jeremy guilty on just her statement.
White House Farm continues on Wednesday, 9pm on ITV
Like this story? Sign up to our newsletter to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.
