Essex Police investigator recognised in King’s New Year’s Honours List

Congratulations to experienced senior Essex Police investigator Kevin Macey, who has been recognised for his meritorious services to policing and victims in the King’s New Year’s Honours List.

Kevin, who is Head of Serious Case Review for the joint Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, has been awarded a British Empire Medal.

Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington says: “I’m very proud that Kevin’s policing career of 47 years and dedication to the communities of Essex has been recognised in the King’s New Year’s Honours list.

“As a detective, Kevin was extremely dedicated to and passionate about helping victims, bringing criminals to justice.

“On retirement as a police officer, he was able to bring his vast experience to his police staff role as the Head of Serious Case Review. 

“His work means that we’re constantly learning from investigations to obtain justice for victims and reduce crime, serious violence and homicide.

“He is a firm believer in sharing his and other’s experiences, so we continue to help people and catch criminals.

“Kevin is the epitome of hard work and commitment to policing. Congratulations, Kevin for this well-deserved recognition of your lengthy and distinguished career.”

Kevin says news of the award came as a ‘complete surprise, followed by pride that I can still deliver something after 47 years that others feel is worthwhile’.

“In those all those years you learn a lot about offending and people but there are very few unique crimes and no-one knows it all,” he says.

“So, with the benefit of those experiences, some good and some not so, there is much to pass on to others, as indeed others did for me.

“It certainly helps that I have worked with some very good people and some great teams over the years.

“Serious crime investigations can be hugely testing but there are fewer greater rewards than the gratitude of victims, or their families, for what we do, as police officers and staff, to mitigate harm and bring people to justice.”

Kevin joined Essex Police in 1976. After 18 months in uniform in Grays, Kevin was asked by a senior officer to consider joining CID (the criminal investigation department) and, apart from a 12-month spell as a uniformed inspector on an exchange with the Metropolitan Police, he has remained an investigator ever since.

Again, most of his career has been in Essex, apart from three years in the Regional Crime Squad and that year in the Met. As a detective, he spent spells in Grays, Basildon and Southend, eventually becoming a senior investigating officer (SIO) in 1997.

He rose to the rank of detective superintendent, retiring as Head of Specialist Investigations ten years later.

During that time, he dealt with more than 50 murders and attempted murders, together with a multitude of other serious and high-profile investigations.

These include the murder of 82-year-old Cassie Quin in Brentwood in 2003, the doorstep shooting of convicted drug dealer John Ward in St Osyth in 2006 and the Stansted Airport hijacking in 2000, which resulted in nine convictions.

“The Stansted hijack was the most challenging case I’ve been involved in because of its complexity and because it was one of the longest sieges in UK criminal history at the time,” says Kevin.

“But every case can be challenging until you find the answers. Each case is interesting because of the victims, their families and the people you work with, helping them to be the best they can be.”

In 2007, Kevin became the force’s Head of Major Crime Review. Four years later, when Essex Police and Kent Police set up their joint Serious Crime Directorate (SCD), he took on the job of reviewing both forces’ major crime cases. 

As a PIP4 strategic investigator, he takes on a support and advisory role and continues to support and develop new senior investigators and younger detectives.

“I am fortunate to get to review unsolved cases but also to support investigators to achieve their best, including passing on some of my investigative experiences to colleagues,” says Kevin.

Recent murder cases Kevin has assisted in include:

• the conviction of Garry Bennett in March for the murder of his partner Madison Wright in July 2022. He was jailed for life.
• the conviction of David Fuller for the murders of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, in 1987. Advanced DNA techniques identified Fuller as their murderer – which then led detectives to discover his abuse of a total of 101 dead bodies in a Kent hospital mortuary over 15 years. In 2021, Fuller was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life order and will never be released from jail.

Over the years, he has been presented with three top awards from the National Police Chiefs’ Council (and its forerunner, the Association of Chief Police Officers) Homicide Working Group, winning every single category – SIO, team and police staff.

He was also part of the national working group which authored the recently-updated Major Crime Investigation Manual.

And all this while continuing to focus on training and passing on his vast investigative experience through leading SIO training, supporting their development and mentoring them.