Detectives investigating the unsolved murder of a brave police officer during a robbery 30 years ago, have appealed for help from the public during an appearance on the BBC’s Crimewatch Live. DC Jim Morrison was off-duty when he was stabbed in Montreal Place, Covent Garden on 13 December 1991, following a struggle with a man he was trying to arrest for a suspected bag theft. The fresh appeal was featured on BBC’s Crimewatch Live on Thursday, 10 March. A reward totalling £50,000 is being offered for information about DC Morrison’s murder. This amount is a combination of the Met Police putting up £30,000 and Crimestoppers now offering their maximum reward of £20,000 – a new total of £50,000. The officer, who was aged 26 at the time of his death, was renowned for his dedication to duty and flair for dealing with street crime. He left a widow, Victoria. Despite extensive inquiries and a number of arrests over the years, his murderer has never been brought to justice. On the night of the incident, Jim had gone to the Nell Gwynne pub at Bull Inn Court for around an hour from 20:00hrs, before deciding to head home. However, a group of at least three bag snatchers had recently been working in the area to steal women’s’ purses and handbags – and that night a handbag had been stolen from the Maple Leaf pub in Maiden Lane. Jim was seen getting involved in a struggle with a man outside the London Transport Museum shortly after 22:00hrs. The suspect broke free and a chase ensued which ended tragically with Jim being stabbed, before the man fled. At the time of the attack the suspect was described as being of Algerian or North African appearance, 5ft 10 inches tall and aged approximately 27 to 30. He was of medium build, clean shaven and had dark collar length hair, with distinctive tight curls at the front. He was wearing a waist length tan/brown leather jacket. Senior investigating officer on the case, Detective Chief Inspector Rebecca Reeves, of Central Specialist Crime, said: “I think that the key to identifying his killer will be through continued help and information from the community, particularly the North African community, living and working in London’s West End in 1991. “DC Morrison died trying to protect the public from a violent offender who was committing crime in the West End. “He was off duty, unarmed, on his own and in plain clothes. With no regard for his own personal safety he chased the offender through the streets in order to arrest him. Members of the public tried to help him by blocking the offender’s path. His bravery and dedication to duty tragically resulted in him losing his life.’’ Over the years officers have followed leads in Germany, Belgium, Canada, France and Ireland in attempting to solve this case but with no breakthrough.’’ The Met launched a reward of £30,000 to link in with the thirtieth anniversary of Jim’s death in December last year. Crimestoppers has now put in an additional £20,000 leading to the new total of £50,000. The money will be paid for information leading to the identification, arrest and prosecution of the person responsible. (The Crimestoppers reward is only payable for anonymous information given exclusively to the charity. A reward code must be asked for when you call or, if online, please request a reward when you submit the form.) Alexa Loukas, London Regional Manager at charity Crimestoppers, said: “We are independent of the police and give you an option to speak up anonymously. We know it can be difficult to come forward when you know something about crime, but by contacting our charity, it could make all the difference. “If you have information linked to this murder, no matter how small, please call our UK Contact Centre, which is open 24/7, on freephone 0800 555 111, or you can use our simple and secure anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org. “Jim’s family and friends have been left devastated and are desperate for answers as to what exactly has happened to him. Every single day they have to live with the consequences that Jim has been cruelly taken away. Our charity is supporting this investigation by offering a reward for anonymous information that we receive that helps solve this terrible crime.” DCI Rebecca Reeves added: “Every year that goes by we make progress, but we are still short of the evidence that will signal a breakthrough in this case. I believe there are people who still hold vital information about who is responsible for DC Morrison’s murder. “I want to hear from anyone with information about the suspect or about the group he was part of. The answers Jim’s family need could lie with someone who lived in London in 1991, but is now abroad. They may not know that we are still investigating, but we never give up. Thirty years on we are still investigating and will not give up the search for justice. “If you witnessed or heard anything that could help us identify the man responsible for Jim’s murder, wherever you are in the world, come forward and speak to us. It’s not too late.’’ All unsolved homicides are never closed but are subject to continued review. Anyone with information is asked to call the incident room on 020 8785 8267. You can also provide information via the internet by following this link: https:///mipp.police.uk/operation/0101020107V95-PO1 At Crimestoppers, computer IP addresses are never traced and no-one will ever know you contacted Crimestoppers. For telephone calls, there is no caller line display, no 1471 facility and calls have never been traced. Information passed directly to police will not qualify for Crimestoppers reward. Only information passed to Crimestoppers using the untraceable anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org or via the 0800 555 111 freephone number will qualify. Crimewatch Live is on BBC One and BBC iPlayer weekdays at 10:00hrs from Monday, 7 March to Friday, 25 March.
