Bucks pensioner sentenced to life in prison in oldest double jeopardy case

A pensioner from Buckinghamshire has been sentenced to life in prison for the sexual assault and murder of a teenager nearly 50 years ago, making it the oldest double jeopardy case in England and Wales.

What happened?

Dennis McGrory, who is now 76, was 28 when he sexually assaulted, stabbed, and strangled 15-year-old Jacqui Montgomery at her home in 1975.

The following year, McGrory was tried on a circumstantial case and cleared of murder on the directions of the judge.

But decades later, swabs taken from the victim's body produced a one-in-a-billion DNA match.

After a 2003 change in the law on double jeopardy, McGrory's case was referred to the court of appeal and sent for a fresh trial at the Old Bailey. But the trial, which was in March, was halted because of McGrory's ill health.

The retrial took place at Huntingdon Crown Court where he appeared via video link and was found guilty of sexual assault and murder. It took the jury just over an hour to find him guilty on both charges.

McGrory was "wild with rage"

During the trial, jurors were told by prosecutor Sarah Przybylska, McGrory had been “wild with rage” when he killed Jacqui as he tried to track down his ex-partner Josie Montgomery, who was the victim’s aunt.

Jacqui's body was found by her father in the living room of her home in North London.

Crown Prosecution Service's reaction

Following the guilt verdict, Director of Public Prosecutions, Max Hill KC, said: "This crime took place a full decade before the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) opened its doors so it’s certainly the oldest case that I’ve encountered.

“It is one of the very small handful of double jeopardy cases that I’ve personally authorised to be taken to the Court of Appeal.

“We are very close now to the 50th anniversary of this crime so I’m particularly pleased that we’ve been able to bring this matter through to conviction after all these years.

“It is an extremely serious and rare step to ask the Court of Appeal, as I did, to set aside an acquittal for murder, whether that acquittal took place five years ago or 50 years ago.”

He added: "This was a particularly vicious murder of 15-year-old girl, where a sexual assault was part of the murderous attack.

“That meant that on further investigation, we were able to prove that there was a scientific link between McGrory and the body of Jacqueline Montgomery.

“His DNA was found on her body in circumstances where he denies to this day that he was even at the scene or at the house in which she was murdered.

“So that formed a really important new piece of evidence alongside the circumstantial evidence, which included finding on him at his arrest in 1975 a page torn from Jacqueline’s diary.

“When you put those two elements together, it became impossible for him to explain his possession of the diary page and the DNA sample that he left on this poor girl’s body in any way other than him being present and being the killer himself.”

“Our thoughts are with all those who still mourn greatly and have suffered her loss."

Met's reaction

Acting Detective Superintendent Rebecca Reeves, of the Met’s Specialist Casework Team, said: “This was an extremely brutal attack on a young girl and my thoughts are with her family, with her siblings and the other members of her family who are still alive today.

“I hope that finally, the outcome at court has brought them some element of comfort."

Jacqui's family's thoughts

Jacqui’s sister Kathy said: “A violent man who had been living within our family and murdered my sister. He has been able to live his life. He has spent nearly 50 years as a free man doing as he pleased.

“I find that unbearable when my sister didn’t even reach her 16th birthday. His actions caused trauma to so many people and there were no consequences for him."

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