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Stagg is sent death threats by brother after handout snub
Justin Davenport, Crime Correspondent02.09.08
Colin Stagg has been issued with death threats by his younger brother after receiving more than £700,000 compensation for being falsely accused of the murder of Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon Common.
Tony Baker made the threats in a letter to his brother when Colin refused to give him £20,000 from his payout.
Police took the threats so seriously they arrested and cautioned Tony, who changed his name after Colin's arrest.
Mr Stagg told the Standard that he had not seen his brother for nearly 14 years when he received a begging letter asking for money.
The plea came only days after it was revealed last month that the 45-year-old had won £706,000 compensation from the Home Office.
Mr Stagg spent a year in custody accused of the murder of part-time model Miss Nickell before being cleared at the Old Bailey in 1994.
His brother Tony, 44, who now lives in Birmingham, wrote a total of three letters. When his request for cash was refused he warned his brother: "Sleep with one eye open and look over your shoulder. I've lost my kids so I got nothing to lose now.
"I kicked your arse when we were kids and now we are older you got no chance. I am coming for you and I ain't going to stop until you're dead, nonce. I bet you killed dad as well. See you soon, very soon, nonce."
Mr Stagg informed police of the threat last Wednesday and his brother was arrested the following day.
He said: "The threats unnerved me. Tony was always a bully.
"Luckily he lives 100 miles away. But I wasn't taking any chances and called in the police immediately. After seeing the letter they promptly arrested him and brought him down to London."
Speaking to friends he said: "I was told if I wanted to pursue the matter they would charge him, or they could let him off with just a caution. It was up to me.
"I decided to let it go, provided he admitted the offence and gave a guarantee not to do it again or come anywhere near me.
"He went along with that. It wasn't brotherly love that stopped me pressing charges. As far as I'm concerned I don't have a family-and I don't care if I never see him again. I haven't seen him since 1995 and during the years I was a public hate figure, who supposedly got away with murdering Rachel Nickell, he never once offered me support.
"With a couple of exceptions the rest of the family were the same. I've had more support and affection from my girlfriend and her kids than from my own blood. Tony only got in touch when he read about my Home Office award. He didn't bother to congratulate me or ask how I was. He just demanded £20,000 on the pretext of getting his three kids out of foster care.
"I thought that my days of receiving hate mail were over now that everyone accepts I was an innocent man."
Mr Stagg also admitted that even if he had wanted to he could not have given his brother any money.
Despite showing an official Home Office letter, his bank, HSBC, has refused to give him an overdraft of a few hundred pounds to tide him over.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We can confirm that on 28 August a 44-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of malicious communication. The case was investigated by Wandsworth Community Safety Unit and the man was cautioned and released on advice of the Crown Prosecution Service."
