Bert Spencer, a convicted killer who was once a suspect in the murder of a schoolboy, has settled a legal dispute with an author over a book about the case. The out-of-court settlement was reached at Birmingham County Court on April 1, with author Simon Golding agreeing to pay Spencer £600.
Spencer, 86, a former ambulance driver from Stourbridge, brought the claim against Golding over the book 'Scapegoat for Murder: The Truth About the Killing of Carl Bridgewater'. The book, published in 2016, used a manuscript Spencer wrote while serving a life sentence for a separate murder.
The case stems from the 1978 shooting of 13-year-old Carl Bridgewater at Yew Tree Farm near Stourbridge. Spencer was initially a suspect but was cleared. Four men, known as the Bridgewater Four, were convicted but later had their convictions overturned in 1997.
Spencer was jailed for life in 1980 for the murder of his friend Hubert Wilkes, 70, and served 15 years. He claims he wrote the manuscript while in prison, but Golding maintains it was co-written with another inmate, Frank Roden.
Spencer alleged plagiarism and non-payment of royalties. He initially sought £5,000 but accepted £600. Golding said he offered to donate royalties to charity but received no reply. The settlement included payment of Spencer's legal costs.
Golding stated he was "totally innocent" of the accusations and had emails showing Spencer praised the book. He noted that the topic of royalties was "very grey" because the book covered Wilkes' murder, making it "illegal for Mr Spencer to profit from such a serious crime."
