Chilling funeral scenes reconstructing the moment police said they first suspected Jeremy Bamber had murdered his family in a gun massacre will air in a television drama tomorrow night.
Viewers will see actor Freddie Fox, who plays the convicted mass murderer, sobbing as he leaves the church with mourners during episode four of hit ITV show White House Farm.
The disturbing portrayal of the killer attending the service for his slain parents and his sister, bears a striking similarity to film and photographs taken at the ceremony in August 1985.
Bamber is held by his then girlfriend Julie Mugford – played by actress Alexa Davies in the drama – and can be seen breaking down in tears in front of the cameras, just as he did more than 30 years ago.
Detectives say it was these ‘crocodile tears’ that convinced them that he was acting and was responsible for murdering his family at the Essex farm house in Tolleshunt D’Arcy in August 1985.
Viewers will see actor Freddie Fox (pictured) who plays the convicted mass murderer, sobbing as he leaves the church with mourners during episode four of hit ITV show White House Farm
In the ITV drama, Bamber, played by Fox, breaks down in tears in front of the television cameras
Nevill and June Bamber, their adoptive daughter Sheila Caffell and her two sons, Daniel and Nicholas, aged just six were all shot dead.
Police initially believed that Sheila, who suffered from schizophrenia, had committed the murders before killing herself.
However, weeks later, her adoptive brother Jeremy Bamber was arrested in connection with the crime and was convicted of the murders in October 1986.
Detective Sergeant Stan Jones played by Mark Addy in the in the ITV drama, had concerns about Bamber, which were also shared by Det Con Micky Barlow and Det Insp Robert Miller.
In photogrpahs from the time, Bamber looked distressed at the funeral (pictured above with his then girlfriend) but detectives had become suspicious of him
Bamber is seen above bowing his head as the coffins of Nevill and June Bamber, and Sheila are carried during the service in 1985
Jeremy Bamber and girlfriend Julie Mugford at the funeral of three of his family members. After the funeral Bamber’s former teacher called police and said he had been acting
The trio became convinced Bamber was acting while he mourned his family on the day of their funeral.
In a book by author Carol Ann Lee on the murderers, Det Insp Miller said he ‘knew immediately’ that something was wrong.
‘I turned to Micky Barlow and said ‘this bloke’s acting. Sure enough, I got a call from Jeremy’s teacher shortly afterwards.’
Jeremy’s former housemaster, William Thomas, told Miller: ‘It seemed to me that Bamber was acting. My wife, who was watching the television with me, also made comments about it.’
Other scenes filmed for the ITV drama show Bamber and his girlfriend arriving at the church
Bamber, played by Freddie Fox, stands next to Colin Caffell, played by Mark Stanley, the father of the twin boys shot dead at the farmhouse
Mike Ainsley, the detective who would eventually lead the investigation, watched the TV news coverage. ‘My wife pointed at Bamber and said, “He did it,” ’ he recalled. Bamber’s behaviour also worried those who knew him. ‘Jeremy was terribly distraught throughout the service,’ his cousin David Boutflour remembered.
‘But when we got down the road and out of sight, Jeremy looked back at us and gave the biggest grin. It was chilling. Peter, my brother-in-law, turned to me and said, “He did it, didn’t he?”’
Police had originally believed Bamber’s story, and he managed to convince detectives that his sister Sheila had carried out the attack.
Bamber had called police to tell them there was something wrong at the Essex property.
Bamber, who was given a whole-life tariff with no possibility of release, has always claimed his sister Sheila (pictured left, with Cressida Bonas playing her in the ITV drama right) killed their family and then herself in a murder-suicide
Bamber, 59, (pictured in 1986 left and Freddie Fox playing him in the ITV drama right) is serving a whole-life prison sentence for the 1985 murders of his sister Sheila Caffell, 26, her twin boys Nicholas and Daniel, both six, and his parents Nevill and June, both 61
Bamber is seen above smiling as he is led away by police officers after his arrest in 1985
Prior to the funeral senior officers such as Detective Chief Inspector Thomas ‘Taff’ Jones had believed his story, but one officer who had been on the scene said that Taff had made up his mind and that it had ‘ceased to be a crime’.
‘Ordinarily, it would have been taped off, but too many boots had been in already.’
Bamber’s father Nevill had been shot eight times and his mother and sister had been gunned down in a bedroom, while Nicholas and Daniel were shot in their beds.
Detective Sergeant Stan Jones was another officer who hadn’t been convinced by Bamber and claimed he had informed senior officers that they ‘had not been happy’ with the way Bamber had carried himself.
Jeremy Bamber (pictured in 2013) has claimed from his prison cell that new evidence gives him the ‘ultimate alibi’ he did not murder his family at White House Farm 35 years ago
‘His demeanour, his answers to our questions – this ain’t a bloke grieving. This is an oddball, a guy who is not all he seems.’
It was then that Taff was called and concerns about Bamber were addressed, but Taff was alleged to have been dismissive of the claims, and firmly believed Sheila had been responsible.
Det Sgt Jones listed his concerns, among which included Bamber’s behaviour since the murders and a phone call he had made to his girlfriend on the night in question.
The suspicions didn’t go away and it was then that the teacher called detectives to tell them he believed Bamber had been acting.
His girlfriend Julie Mugford then changed her statement, which implicated Bamber.
White House Farm in Essex is shown in the ITV portrayal of the murders
The massacre of his family became known as the White House Farm murders after the name of his parents Essex farmhouse (pictured) where it took place in 1985
He was then arrested and charged. A year later he was convicted of all five murders. Since then he has appealed against his life sentence several times.
He is a category A prisoner at HMP Wakefield in Yorkshire.
Bamber has slated Fox’s portrayal of him in the new ITV drama, saying it was ‘nothing like him’.
He said: ‘I am concerned ITV are now cashing in on the tragedy,’ but ITV insisted it carried out ‘meticulous research’.
It comes after Sheila’s widower Colin Caffell told of how he welcomed Bamber into his home.
Jeremy Bamber (played by Freddie Fox sat down) is questioned by DS Stan Jones, Mark Addy, (pictured left) during the ITV drama White House Farm
He told ITV’s This Morning: ‘I welcomed Jeremy into my flat and gave him all the brotherly love as a victim. But he was behaving normally – running up the stairs with wet hair copying a famous photo in the mirror.
‘Once the funeral happened he was in the car and started larking around with Julie Mugford [his then girlfriend] about what he wanted to with her later in the afternoon – then the next thing I knew he’d be arrested for the first time.’