Four men charged over 1987 axe murder

Four men were charged yesterday with killing a private investigator who was found with an axe in his head 21 years ago.

James Cook, 53, of Tadworth, Surrey, William John Rees, 53, the victim's former business partner at Southern Investigations, Garry Vian, 47, and his brother Glenn Vian, 49, of South Croydon, are accused of murdering Daniel Morgan in Sydenham, south-east London, in 1987.

Sidney Fillery, 61, a former detective sergeant with the Metropolitan Police, was charged with perverting justice. They will appear before Westminster magistrates today. Mr Morgan, 37, was found in the car park of the Golden Lion pub with an axe in his head. His family maintained he had been killed by a contract killer.

It is believed he was killed because he was about to expose links between corrupt police and a south London drugs gang. Mr Fillery, now a pub landlord, was part of the team that investigated the murder. A year later, he retired from the Met and took over the dead man's position as a director of Southern Investigations. Scotland Yard reopened the investigation in 2006 into the murder and detectives have said the identity of those responsible has long been one south London's "worst kept secrets".

A sixth man – a serving constable arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office – was freed on bail.