View source for Murder of Yvonne Fletcher

{{Short description|1984 shooting of a British police officer}}
{{featured article}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox police officer
|name         = Yvonne Fletcher
|image        = WPC Yvonne Fletcher shortly after being shot.jpg
|caption      = Fletcher, wounded on the ground, attended by her colleagues
|birth_name   = 
|birth_date   = {{birth date|df=y|1958|06|15}}
|death_date   = {{death date and age|df=y|1984|04|17|1958|06|15}}
|badgenumber  = <!-- badge number-->
|birth_place  = [[Semley]], Wiltshire, England
|death_place  = [[Westminster]], London, England
|resting_place= 
|nickname     =
|department   = [[Metropolitan Police Service]]
|service      = <!-- Country based in -->
|serviceyears = 1977–1984
|rank         = [[Constable#United Kingdom|Woman Police Constable]]
|awards       = <!-- Any awards given -->
|relations    = <!-- Family -->
|laterwork    = <!-- Any notable work after leaving the force -->
}}

The '''murder of Yvonne Fletcher''', a [[Metropolitan Police]] officer, occurred on 17 April 1984, when she was fatally wounded by a shot fired from the [[Embassy of Libya, London|Libyan embassy]] on [[St James's Square]], London, by an unknown gunman. Fletcher had been deployed to monitor a [[Demonstration (protest)|demonstration]] against the Libyan leader [[Muammar Gaddafi]], and died shortly afterwards. Her death resulted in an eleven-day siege of the embassy, at the end of which those inside were [[Deportation|expelled]] from the country and the United Kingdom severed [[Libya–United Kingdom relations|diplomatic relations with Libya]].

Between 1980 and 1984 Gaddafi had ordered the deaths of several exiled opponents of his regime; bombings and shootings, targeted at Libyan dissidents, occurred in Manchester and London. Five Libyans thought to be behind the attacks were deported from the UK. During the anti-Gaddafi protest on 17 April 1984, two gunmen opened fire from the first floor of the embassy with [[Sterling submachine gun]]s. In addition to the murder of Fletcher, eleven Libyan demonstrators were wounded. The inquest into Fletcher's death reached the verdict that she was "killed by a bullet coming from one of two windows on the west side of the front on the first floor of the Libyan People's Bureau".{{sfn|Keel|1984b|p=1}} Following the breaking of diplomatic relations, Libya arrested six British nationals, the last four of whom were released after nine months in captivity.

Two years after Fletcher's murder, the event became a factor in the decision by the British prime minister, [[Margaret Thatcher]], to allow the [[1986 United States bombing of Libya|US bombing of Libya]] from bases in the UK. In 1999, a warming of diplomatic relations between Britain and Libya led to a statement from the Libyan government admitting culpability in Fletcher's shooting, and the payment of compensation. British police continued their investigation until 2017. Although sufficient evidence existed to prosecute one of the co-conspirators, no charges were brought as some of the evidence could not be raised in court due to national security concerns. As at<!-- "As at" is correct in British English. See talk page discussion for details. --> {{CURRENTYEAR}} no one has been convicted of Fletcher's murder, although in 2021 the [[High Court of Justice]] determined that Gaddafi's ally Saleh Ibrahim Mabrouk was jointly liable for Fletcher's murder.
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==Background==

===Yvonne Fletcher===
[[File:WPC Yvonne Fletcher.jpg|thumb|upright|Fletcher's [[warrant card]] photograph]]
Yvonne Joyce Fletcher was born on 15 June 1958 in the [[Wiltshire]] village of [[Semley]], to Michael Fletcher and his wife Queenie (''{{nee}}'' Troke). Yvonne was the eldest of the couple's four daughters. At the age of three she told her parents that she wanted to join the police.{{sfn|Tendler|2011}}{{sfn|Singer|1984|p=1}} By the time she was eighteen and a half—the minimum entry age into the [[Metropolitan Police Service]]—she was {{convert|5|ft|2.5|in|m|2}} tall, shorter than the {{convert|5|ft|4|in}} required.{{sfn|Ashman|Trescott|1986|p=8}} She applied to several police forces but was turned down on the basis of her height, and considered applying for entry to the [[Royal Hong Kong Police Force]].{{sfn|Day|1984|p=1}}

Despite the height restriction, in March 1977 Fletcher was accepted onto the Metropolitan Police 20-week training course. She passed and was placed on the standard two-year probation period with the [[warrant card|warrant number]] 4257; she was posted to [[Bow Street police station]], where she completed her probation and was confirmed as a regular [[Police ranks of the United Kingdom#History of police ranks|Woman Police Constable]] (WPC).{{sfn|Tendler|2011}}{{sfn|Ashman|Trescott|1986|pp=10–11}} She was highly regarded by her colleagues, who nicknamed her "Super Fletch", and she became engaged to PC Michael Liddle, who also worked at Bow Street.{{sfn|Tendler|2011}}{{sfn|Horsnell|1984a|p=1}}

===Relations between Britain and Libya===
{{Location map|United Kingdom London Westminster|label=St James's Square|mark=red_pog.svg|lat=51.507|long=-0.135|width=200|float=left|caption=St James's Square, London}}
From 1979 there had been no Libyan ambassador appointed to the United Kingdom. A "Revolutionary Committee" was in control of the [[Embassy of Libya, London|Libyan embassy in London]], located at [[5 St James's Square]]; the embassy was renamed the "People's Bureau".{{efn|Gaddafi came to power in Libya in [[1969 Libyan coup d'état|a 1969 coup d'état]]. In 1977 the country adopted the "Declaration of the Establishment of the People's Authority", which marked the start of the [[Libyan Arab Jamahiriya]].{{sfn|Jebnoun|Kia|Kirk|2013|pp=127, 129}} In 1979 the Libyan embassy in London was turned into a "People's Bureau" under the leadership of [[Moussa Koussa]], a Gaddafi loyalist.{{sfn|"Libyan embassy: history", "The Daily Telegraph"}}}} In 1980 Libya's leader [[Muammar Gaddafi]]—the Chairman of the [[Libyan Revolutionary Command Council|Revolutionary Command Council]]—saw many exiles from Libya as traitors and had given orders for several of them to be murdered. On his instructions, bombs were planted in London newsagents that sold newspapers critical of Gaddafi.{{sfnm|1a1=Burleigh|1y=2011|1p=23|2a1=Nordheimer|2y=1984|2p=1|3a1=Davis|3y=1990|3p=66|4a1=Ronen|4y=2006|4p=272}} [[Moussa Koussa]] was appointed as Secretary of the Libyan People's Bureau in London in 1979. He was expelled from the UK in 1980, after stating in an interview with ''[[The Times]]'' that the Libyan government planned to murder two opponents of Gaddafi's government living in the UK.{{sfn|Horsnell|1980|p=1}} The [[Lord Privy Seal]], [[Ian Gilmour, Baron Gilmour of Craigmillar|Sir Ian Gilmour]], told the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] that the government wished "to maintain good relations with Libya", but that "we are making it clear that the Libyan authorities must understand what can and cannot be done under the law of the United Kingdom, and that criminal actions in the United Kingdom must cease".{{sfn|Gilmour|1980}}

After several murders of Gaddafi's political opponents in the UK in 1980, there was a decrease in activity until 1983, when the Libyan [[General People's Congress (Libya)|General People's Congress]]—the country's legislature—began a campaign against what they saw as the bourgeois habits of staff at several of the People's Bureaux, particularly the office in London. In February 1983 the bureau chief and [[cultural attaché]] were recalled to Libya and replaced with a four-man committee of students who had all been involved in revolutionary activities in Libya. Soon after they were appointed, they gave a press conference at which they threatened action against Libyan dissidents.{{sfn|Lycett|1984|p=2}} On 10 and 11 March 1984 there were a series of bomb attacks in London and Manchester targeted at critics of the Gaddafi regime. The Libyan government denied being involved, but on 16 March the British government deported five Libyans said to be connected to the attacks.{{sfn|Ronen|2006|p=273}}

===Vienna convention and diplomatic protection===
The [[Diplomatic immunity|protection of diplomats and their official premises]] is based on the [[Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations]] 1961, an international [[treaty]]; it was signed by 141 countries, including the UK and Libya. It was incorporated into UK law in the [[Diplomatic Privileges Act 1964]]. Among other measures, the act protects diplomats from prosecution for any crime unless the diplomat's home country waives their right to immunity. A country can declare a diplomat from another state to be ''[[persona non grata]]'', and demand that they leave the country, but no other action can be taken against them. Diplomatic premises are also protected from entry by the police or security services, unless given permission by the country's ambassador.{{sfn|Mather|1984|p=3}}{{sfn|Ashman|Trescott|1986|pp=16–17, 25–26}}

==Shooting: 16–17 April 1984==
{{See Also|1984 Libyan hostage incident}}
{{multiple image
<!-- Essential parameters -->
| align     = right
| direction = vertical
| header = St James's Square
| width     = 
<!-- Image 1 -->
| image1    = Former Libyan People's Bureau, St James's Sq, London.JPG
| width1    = 250
| alt1      = 
| caption1  = The former Libyan People's Bureau in St James's Square; the bureau was in the white building on the left of the image.
<!-- Image 2 -->
| image2    = St James's Square map, when WPC Fletcher was shot.svg
| width2    = 250
| alt2      = 
| caption2  = Map of St James's Square, showing where Fletcher was shot
}}

On 16 April 1984 two students—active opponents of Gaddafi's rule—were executed in public hangings at the [[University of Tripoli]]. In response Libyan dissidents in Britain—members of the [[National Front for the Salvation of Libya|Libyan National Salvation Front]] (LNSF)—decided to stage a [[Demonstration (protest)|demonstration]] outside the People's Bureau on St James's Square.{{sfn|Ronen|2006|p=274}}{{sfn|Kirby|2013|p=160}} During the evening of 16 April, the People's Bureau proposed three options to Tripoli on how to deal with the demonstration: to clash directly with the demonstrators from outside the bureau, to shoot at them from inside or to prevent the event by diplomatic means. The bureau tried the third option.{{sfn|Andrew|2009|p=701}} During the night of 16–17 April a delegation from the People's Bureau attended a meeting at the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]] to complain about the forthcoming demonstration, and ask that it be stopped. The Libyans were told that the Metropolitan Police would be informed, but would be unable to prevent the demonstration from going ahead.{{sfn|Hamilton|Tendler|Witherow|1984a|p=1}} 

During the night, Tripoli authorised the bureau to open fire on the protestors.{{sfn|Andrew|2009|p=701}} The British political scientist Richard J. Aldrich writes that these messages were intercepted and decrypted by the [[Government Communications Headquarters]] (GCHQ), but not in time to avoid the shooting. Aldrich suggests that the delay was possibly because GCHQ did not work on the intercept outside their 9:00&nbsp;am to 5:00&nbsp;pm office hours.{{sfn|Aldrich|2010|pp=455–456}} The authorised history of MI5, while not specifying from where the organisation received the information, says that "it was not until after the demonstration on the 17th that the Service learned" of the three options proposed by the People's Bureau to Tripoli.{{sfn|Andrew|2009|p=701}}{{efn|[[Oleg Gordievsky]], the British spy working within the [[KGB]] London station, stated that the station was informed on 18 April by the KGB Centre in Moscow that the shooting had been personally ordered by Gaddafi.{{sfn|Andrew|2009|p=701}}}} On the morning of 17 April, police workmen placed [[crowd control barrier]]s in St James's Square in preparation for the demonstration. One of the Libyans from the People's Bureau told a workman that there were guns in the bureau and there would be fighting that day. The workman passed the message on to police, who decided not to take action.{{sfn|"Did police constable Yvonne Fletcher need to die?", ''The Economist''}}{{sfn|Keel|1984a|p=1}}

A detachment of around 30 police officers was sent to St James's Square to monitor the demonstration; among them were Fletcher and her fiancé. They were accompanied by members of the [[Diplomatic Protection Group]].{{sfn|Kirby|2013|p=160}}{{sfn|Ashman|Trescott|1986|p=17}} About 75 LNSF protestors arrived from across the country, particularly northern England;{{efn|PC John Murray, a colleague of Fletcher's who was present at the demonstration, estimates the number to be between one and two hundred.{{sfn|Murray|2009|p=21}}}} the demonstration began at around 10:00&nbsp;am. The demonstrators—many wearing masks or [[Balaclava (clothing)|balaclavas]], to ensure photographers from the People's Bureau could not record their identities—stayed behind barriers placed opposite the Bureau; they chanted anti-Gaddafi slogans and carried banners and placards.{{sfn|Stern|1997|p=39}}{{sfn|Ashman|Trescott|1986|p=20}} A counter-demonstration by Gaddafi supporters had been arranged by the People's Bureau and took place outside the building. The demonstrations were filmed by several international television crews invited by the Libyans<!--which ones? LNSF? the supporters? People's Bureau?-->.{{sfn|Stern|1997|p=39}}{{sfn|''Real Crime: Yvonne Fletcher'', 2 September 2010|loc=Event occurs at 5:45–6:05}}

At 10:18&nbsp;am automatic gunfire was discharged from two windows of the People's Bureau in the direction of the anti-Gaddafi demonstration. The shots wounded eleven protestors;{{sfn|Hamilton|Tendler|Witherow|1984a|p=1}}{{sfn|''Real Crime: Yvonne Fletcher'', 2 September 2010|loc=Event occurs at 6:20–6:55}} according to the [[post-mortem examination]] report, one round entered Fletcher's back, "{{convert|10|in}} below the top of the right shoulder, {{convert|5+1⁄2|in}} to the right of the spine and {{convert|3+1⁄4|in}} behind the back fold of the right armpit". The bullet travelled right to left, through her [[thoracic diaphragm]], [[liver]] and [[gall bladder]] before it was deflected by the [[spinal column]] out through the left side of the body, and then into the left elbow.{{sfn|Stern|1997|pp=41–42}}

While the demonstrators were moved into [[Charles II Street]], Fletcher was aided by her colleagues; as she lay in the road outside the People's Bureau, she advised them to "keep calm". She was moved to Charles II Street; she became unconscious and stopped breathing and a colleague gave her [[resuscitation]]. At 10:40&nbsp;am an ambulance took her to [[Westminster Hospital]]. As she was being transferred from the ambulance to a hospital trolley, a single spent [[Ammunition|round of ammunition]] fell from her uniform.{{sfn|Stern|1997|p=39}}{{sfn|Ashman|Trescott|1986|pp=22–23}} She was operated on, but died at approximately midday.{{sfn|Day|1984|p=1}}{{sfn|Stern|1997|p=41}}

The police evacuated members of the public from the offices around the square, which they sealed off with a cordon; [[Police use of firearms in the United Kingdom|armed police]] took up positions facing the People's Bureau and on the surrounding rooftops. The garage entrance at the rear of the People's Bureau was not sealed off until at least ten minutes after the shooting, and in that time some of those inside departed the premises through that exit.{{sfnm|1a1=Ashman|1a2=Trescott|1y=1986|1p=24|2a1=Gould|2a2=Waldren|2y=1986|2p=193|3a1=Parry|3y=1984|3p=3}}{{sfn|''Real Crime: Yvonne Fletcher'', 2 September 2010|loc=Event occurs at 9:20–9:45}}

With [[Margaret Thatcher]], the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|Prime Minister]], on an official visit to Portugal, and [[Geoffrey Howe]], the [[Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs|Foreign Secretary]], in China, responsibility for handling the crisis fell to [[Leon Brittan]], the [[Home Secretary]].{{sfn|Bevins|1984|p=1}} Events spread to Libya soon after the shooting, as around 60 members of the [[Revolutionary Guard Corps]] surrounded the British embassy in Tripoli, and put the premises under siege, trapping the staff of 25—including [[Oliver Miles]], the ambassador.{{sfn|Parry|Keel|White|Kealtey|1984|p=1}} Three British nationals working in Tripoli were arrested on unspecified charges.{{sfn|Stanhope|1984|p=1}}

The post-mortem on Fletcher was undertaken in the evening of 17 April by the [[forensic pathologist]] [[Iain West]].{{sfn|Stern|1997|p=41}} Examining the entry of the shot, he wrote that:

<blockquote>The angle of the bullet wound indicates that she was shot in the back by a person who was situated at a considerably higher level. Assuming that she was standing upright at the moment she was shot, the track would indicate that she had been shot from one of the adjacent floors of an adjacent building.{{sfn|Stern|1997|p=44}}</blockquote>

From the angle of the entry wound, and Fletcher's position in the street—captured on news cameras seconds before she was shot—West established that the shot had come from the first floor of the embassy.{{sfn|Stern|1997|p=47}}

==Siege: 18–27 April 1984==
On 18 April, Miles was allowed to leave the British embassy to meet representatives of the Libyan government; the siege in Tripoli was lifted that day and one of the men arrested the previous day was also released.{{sfn|Stanhope|1984|p=1}}{{sfn|Walker|1984|p=1}} The following day Gaddafi appeared on Libyan television and blamed the British police and security forces for the attack; he said that "we are surprised how a responsible state like England carry on {{sic}} committing this crime".{{sfn|''Real Crime: Yvonne Fletcher'', 2 September 2010|loc=Event occurs at 14:08–14:40}}{{sfn|"1984: Libyan embassy shots kill policewoman", ''BBC News''}} Over the next week five bombs were planted in London, four of which were defused; on 20 April the fifth [[1984 Heathrow Airport bombing|bomb exploded]] in the baggage area of [[Heathrow Terminal 2|Terminal 2]] at [[Heathrow Airport]], for which police suspected Libyan bombers.{{sfn|Ashman|Trescott|1986|p=29}}{{sfn|Gould|Waldren|1986|p=194}} The British government's attitude towards Libya hardened as a result of the bombs, although they were also sensitive to Libya's behaviour in previous diplomatic impasses, whereby the regime would arrest citizens of a country and hold them until the normalisation of formal relations. There were 8,000 British workers in Libya, mostly working in the oil and construction industries.{{sfn|Willey|Raphael|Mather|1984|p=1}}{{sfn|Hamilton|Tendler|Witherow|1984b|p=1}}

The British government requested access to the People's Bureau, which was denied by the Libyan government.{{sfn|Ashman|Trescott|1986|p=27}} Two Libyan diplomats who were not in the embassy at the time of the shooting acted as intermediaries between police negotiators and those inside the building. The government also put the [[Special Air Service]] on standby; they flew from [[Stirling Lines]], their base in [[Credenhill]], Herefordshire, to London in preparation.{{sfn|Low|Mather|Bhatia|Bailey|1984|p=3}}{{sfn|Ashman|Trescott|1986|pp=27–29}} Negotiations did not progress well, and on 22 April Britain informed the Libyan government that diplomatic ties were broken; the diplomats in the embassy were given until midnight on 29 April to leave the country, and Britain instructed its embassy staff to leave Tripoli by the same time.{{sfn|Parry|Kirby|1984|p=1}}

Fletcher's hat and four other officers' [[Custodian helmet|helmets]] were left lying in the square during the ensuing siege. In the days that followed, images of them were repeatedly shown in the British media.{{sfn|Tendler|2011}}{{sfn|Moss|Skinner|2015|loc=3200}} In the early morning of 27 April a policeman acted against orders and retrieved the hat from the square. It was placed on Fletcher's coffin for her funeral, which took place the same day at [[Salisbury Cathedral]]. In addition to 600 police officers, Leon Brittan attended, as did [[Lawrence Byford]], the [[Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services|Chief Inspector of Constabulary]] and [[Kenneth Newman]], the [[Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis|Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police]].{{sfn|Horsnell|1984a|p=1}}{{efn|After the funeral Fletcher's police hat was given to the [[Black Museum]] at [[Scotland Yard]].{{sfn|Moss|Skinner|2015|loc=3200}}}}

On the same day as Fletcher's funeral the evacuation of the embassy began with the dispatch of [[Diplomatic bag|diplomatic luggage]]—four canvas bags, marked with a diplomatic seal, and immune from search or seizure by the British police. Neutral intermediaries from Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey oversaw the exit of goods and staff. The 30 staff in the embassy were allowed out in groups of five, instructed to walk in single-file with a gap between each of them; there was a 15-minute pause between each group exiting the building. Each person was frisked, photographed and questioned, but when attempts were made to fingerprint the men, they objected and the neutral intermediaries advised the police that this was not allowed. After being taken to the [[National School of Government|Civil Service College]] at [[Sunningdale]] where they were held for the day and questioned, the Libyans were put on a flight to Tripoli just before 8:00&nbsp;pm. The same day, the remaining members of staff from the British embassy, including the ambassador, returned to London.{{sfn|Witherow|Tendler|1984|pp=1, 34}}{{sfn|Bhatla|Mather|Willey|1984|p=1}}

==Aftermath: 27 April 1984 – 5 February 1985==
Once the Libyans had left the People's Bureau, police [[Forensic science|forensics]] teams entered and searched the square and the embassy building. Within the building—where they spent four days searching—[[gunshot residue]] was found at two windows on the first floor and a spent cartridge. With that evidence, and from the location of the bullets in the square, the police ascertained that two [[Sterling submachine gun]]s had been fired, one pointing down at the demonstrators and one on a flatter trajectory across the square. The police search of the bureau found 4,367 rounds of ammunition, three [[semi-automatic pistol]]s, four [[.38]] [[revolver]]s and [[Magazine (firearms)|magazines]] for Sterling submachine guns.{{efn|Forensic tests established that one of the handguns had been used to murder a Libyan journalist.{{sfn|Tendler|2011}}}} The search of the embassy was made by civilian experts employed by the police, accompanied by observers from Saudi Arabia.{{sfn|Horsnell|1984b|p=32}}{{sfn|Brown|1984|p=8}}

The inquest into Fletcher's death opened on 25 April but was adjourned to allow for the police to undertake further investigations.{{sfn|Aitken|1984|p=28}} When it reconvened, police reported that they had 400 lines of enquiry open into the murder, but had not narrowed the field of suspects down from any of the 30 Libyans in the embassy.{{sfn|Horsnell|1984b|p=32}} Iain West stated that the bullet entered Fletcher's body at an angle of between 60 and 70 degrees.{{sfn|Belfield|2005|p=109}} [[Paul Knapman]], the [[coroner]] heading the inquest, considered the angle too steep to have been fired from the first floor and questioned West on the point. The pathologist stated that Fletcher must have been turning when she was shot which, he said, would have reduced the angle.{{sfn|Belfield|2005|p=109}} The jury concluded that Fletcher "was killed by a bullet coming from one of two windows on the west side of the front on the first floor of the Libyan People's Bureau".{{sfn|Keel|1984b|p=1}}

In April and May 1984 six British men working in Libya were rounded up and [[1984 Libyan hostage incident|detained as hostages]] by a Revolutionary Committee.{{sfn|Dowden|1984|p=4}} The Libyans demanded the restoration of diplomatic relations and the release of Libyans arrested on terror offences.{{sfn|Waite|1994|p=393}} Two of the men were freed in September,{{sfn|Ezard|1984|p=2}} and in October [[Terry Waite]]—special envoy for the [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]—visited Libya in an attempt to negotiate the release of the remaining men, the first of his four visits.{{sfn|Waite|1994|p=382}}{{sfn|Dowden|1985|p=1}} The hostages were freed on 5 February 1985, after nine months in detention.{{sfn|Dowden|1985|p=1}}

==Subsequent developments==

===Gaddafi era: 1985–2011===
Although there were rumours that four members of the embassy had been executed on their return to Libya, the reports were not considered reliable by the British government.{{sfn|"1984: Libyan embassy shots kill policewoman", ''BBC News''}}{{sfn|Hawkes|1984|p=6}} The government did not try to re-open diplomatic relations with Libya for several years, and interaction between the two governments remained poor.{{sfn|Black|1999a|p=6}} In 1986 Thatcher agreed to the use of [[Royal Air Force]] bases by American aircraft involved in the [[1986 United States bombing of Libya|bombing of Libya]]; she said in the [[House of Commons]] that the murder of Fletcher weighed in her decision.{{sfn|Thatcher|1986}} In 1991 the warrants issued to two Libyan men for the 1988 [[Lockerbie bombing]] further damaged British–Libyan relations.{{sfn|Black|1999a|p=6}} [[Abdul Fatah Younis]], Libya's Minister for Public Security, met [[Christopher William Long|Christopher Long]], Britain's ambassador to Egypt in 1992. Younis apologised for his country's role in Fletcher's murder, and offered to assist with the [[extradition]] of her killers; the offer was not accepted, but led to discussions between the two countries, which were kept secret.{{sfn|Black|1999a|p=6}}{{sfn|"Obituaries: General Abdel Fattah Younes". ''The Daily Telegraph''}}

The [[Channel 4]] ''[[Dispatches (TV series)|Dispatches]]'' documentary, broadcast in April 1996, posited that the shots were fired from a different building, from an upper floor that had been rented by MI5, and that the shots had been from agents of MI5 or the American [[CIA]], to discredit the Libyan regime.{{sfn|''Dispatches: Murder in St James's'', 10 April 1996|loc=Event occurs at 47:50–48:35}}{{efn|The programme—which included the opinions of the [[British Army]]'s senior [[ballistics]] officer, Lieutenant Colonel [[George Styles (British Army officer)|George Styles]], the Home Office [[pathology|pathologist]] Bernard Knight and army surgeon and forensic pathologist Hugh Thomas—raised the question of the entry angle of the bullet that killed Fletcher. The conclusion of those interviewed was that the bullet could not have come from the first floor of the embassy, and could not have been from a Sterling submachine gun.{{sfn|''Dispatches: Murder in St James's'', 10 April 1996|loc=Event occurs at 13:40–17:20 and 19:40–20:55}}}} The contents of the programme were raised in question in the House of Commons by [[Tam Dalyell]],{{sfn|Dalyell|1996}} and answered by [[David Maclean]], the [[Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department|Minister of State for Home Affairs]], who stated that "The programme asks us to believe that WPC Fletcher was murdered by, or with the connivance of, a British or American intelligence officer. If it were not so offensive and obscene, it would be laughable." He concluded that it was the Libyans in the bureau who should co-operate with the murder investigation.{{sfn|Maclean|1996}}

In July 1999 the Libyan government publicly accepted responsibility for the murder, agreed to pay compensation of £250,000 to Fletcher's family and agreed to support the investigation into Fletcher's murder.{{sfn|Black|1999b|p=1}}{{sfn|Evans|2000|p=18}} In a statement to the House of Commons, the Foreign Secretary, [[Robin Cook]] announced:

<blockquote>Libya accepts general responsibility for the actions of those in the Libyan People's Bureau at the time of the shooting. It expresses deep regret to the family of WPC Fletcher for what occurred and offers to pay compensation now to the family. Libya agrees to participate in and co-operate with the continuing police investigation and to accept its outcome.{{sfn|Cook|1999}}</blockquote>

On 24 February 2004 the ''[[Today (BBC Radio 4)|Today]]'' programme on [[BBC Radio 4]] reported that [[Shukri Ghanem]], the [[List of heads of government of Libya|Libyan prime minister]], had claimed his country was not responsible for Fletcher's murder or for the Lockerbie bombing. Ghanem said that Libya had made the admission and paid compensation to bring peace and an end to [[international sanctions]].{{sfn|"Today: 24th February 2004". ''BBC Radio''}} The following day a statement on Libyan radio said that Ghanem's comment was "inaccurate and regrettable"; the Libyan government offered entry to Libya for the Metropolitan Police to undertake its investigation in Tripoli.{{sfn|Webster|2004|p=2}} Although they were able to undertake some steps during their four-day investigation, they were not allowed to arrest anyone. On their return it was announced that a joint investigation by British police and a Libyan magistrate would undertake a formal investigation under Libyan law.{{sfn|McGrory|2004|p=4}}{{sfn|Bennett|2004|p=2}}

British detectives were able to interview their main suspect for the murder in June 2007, following the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the UK and Libya. Detectives spent seven weeks in Libya interviewing both witnesses and suspects. Queenie, Fletcher's mother, described the developments as "promising".{{sfn|Townsend|2007|p=4}} That year a senior Canadian lawyer undertook a review of the available evidence for the [[Crown Prosecution Service]]. He advised that Abdulmagid Salah Ameri, a junior diplomat in the People's Bureau at the time of the shooting, had been identified by witnesses who had observed him firing a weapon from the embassy window. The report also suggested that there was sufficient evidence for two men, Matouk Mohammed Matouk and [[Abdulqadir al-Baghdadi]], to face charges of [[conspiracy to murder]]. Both had escaped out of the garage door of the embassy on the day of the shooting; neither had diplomatic status and could, therefore, face prosecution. The report was not publicly released, but a leaked copy was obtained by ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' in 2009.{{sfn|Hope|Rayner|McElroy|2009|p=1}}{{sfn|Hope|2011|p=1}}

In 2009 Gaddafi was interviewed by [[Sky News]] and apologised for the killing of Fletcher.{{sfn|Kerbaj|2009|p=13}} The same year it was established that during trade negotiations between Britain and Libya in 2006, an agreement was reached that Fletcher's killer would not be extradited for trial in the UK. In a letter to [[Gordon Brown]], the Prime Minister, the [[Police Federation of England and Wales|Police Federation]] said they were "appalled and disgusted" by the decision. A spokesman for the Foreign Office denied that there was a secret deal, and stated that "Libyan law did not allow for the extradition for trial in other countries so a trial in Libya was the only outcome that would reflect our determination to see justice done".{{sfn|Winnett|2009|p=1}}

===Post-Gaddafi era: 2011–2021===
[[File:PC Yvonne Fletcher Shaftesbury.jpg|thumb|PC Yvonne Fletcher Memorial, Shaftesbury]]
Following the [[Libyan Civil War (2011)|2011 Libyan civil war]] and the collapse of the Gaddafi regime in August that year, it was reported that one of the co-conspirators, Abdulqadir al-Baghdadi, had been killed during in-fighting among Gaddafi loyalists.{{sfn|Spencer|2011}} In June the following year, two police officers flew to Libya to discuss developments in the case.{{sfn|Davis|2012}} The following month ''[[The Sunday Telegraph]]'' named Salah Eddin Khalifa, a high-level member of the former regime, as the pro-Gaddafi student who shot Fletcher. Within minutes of the shooting, he had left the embassy via a back door before it was surrounded by police. Khalifa was said to have moved to another north African city following the civil war.{{sfn|Gilligan|2012|p=1}}

In November 2015 the Metropolitan Police arrested Saleh Ibrahim Mabrouk, a former member of the Gaddafi government and a close ally of Gaddafi who was a key member of the revolutionary committee in control of the embassy on that day; in 2011 he claimed [[political asylum]] in the UK. Although initially arrested on charges of [[money laundering]], he was bailed on charges of conspiracy to murder Fletcher.{{sfn|Allen|2016}} In May 2017 the charges against him were dropped as evidence against him could not be provided in court because of national security concerns.{{sfn|Hudson|2017}}{{sfn|Rawlinson|Dodd|2017}}

In November 2019, Fletcher's former colleague John Murray said he was still trying to find the murderer;{{sfn|Jones|2019}} in November 2021 a civil case he brought against Mabrouk, was heard at the [[Royal Courts of Justice]] in London. Mabrouk was found to be jointly liable for Fletcher's death.{{sfn|"Yvonne Fletcher shooting: Libyan close to Gaddafi found jointly liable for killing of PC". ''BBC News''}}

==Legacy==
{{multiple image
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| align    = right
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| header = Memorials
| width    =
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| image1    = WPC Yvonne Fletcher Memorial St. James's Square London 2016 02 (cropped).jpg
| width1    = 192
| alt1      =
| caption1  = Memorial to Fletcher in [[St James's Square]]
<!-- Image 2 -->
| image2    = Yvonne Fletcher Memorial Window - geograph.org.uk - 1985671.jpg
| width2    = 167
| alt2      =
| caption2  = Stained glass window in St Leonard's Church, [[Semley]]
}}

In April 1984 the film director [[Michael Winner]] wrote to ''The Times'' to suggest that a memorial be placed in St James's Square "to commemorate not only the horrific death of this brave young girl, but also be a constant reminder to her killers of the feelings of the British people".{{sfn|Winner|1984|p=9}} After receiving sizeable donations, Winner set up the [[Police Memorial Trust]] on 3 May to erect memorials to honour British police officers killed in the line of duty.{{sfn|"The Police Memorial Trust". ''Police Roll of Honour Trust''}}

Fletcher became the first police officer honoured by the Police Memorial Trust. On 1 February 1985 her memorial was unveiled in St James's Square by Thatcher, in a ceremony attended by the leaders of the main British political parties.{{sfn|Samstag|1985|p=2}} During her unveiling speech, Thatcher said:

<blockquote>This simple memorial, erected by the Police Memorial Trust, will be a reminder to Londoners and to visitors alike of the debt that we owe to Yvonne Fletcher and all her colleagues in the Police. Without them the law could not be upheld. Without them, indeed, there would be no law, and no liberty.{{sfn|Thatcher|1985}}</blockquote>

The [[granite]] and [[Portland stone]] commemorative pillar lies in the north-east corner of St James's Square, facing the former Libyan embassy. [[Westminster City Council]] altered part of the pavement with a rounded extension into the roadway to create an area for people to stand in front of it.{{sfn|Lambton|2017|p=88}}

A cherry tree was planted in St James's Square in memory of Fletcher in 1984,{{sfn|"St James's Square: Timeline". St James's Square Trust}} and there is a memorial plaque in [[Charing Cross]] Police Station, London.{{sfn|"WPC Yvonne Fletcher". ''Imperial War Museums''}} In 1988 [[John Baker (bishop)|John Baker]], the [[Bishop of Salisbury]] dedicated a stained glass window at St Leonard's Church, Semley, to Fletcher; the window was designed by the artist [[Henry Haig]].{{sfn|Lambton|2017|p=88}}



Following a government review into the law surrounding [[inviolability of diplomatic premises]], the [[Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987]] was introduced. Among other measures, the act allows the government to remove diplomatic status from premises which they consider to be misused.{{sfn|Islam|1988}}

==See also==
*[[List of British police officers killed in the line of duty]]
*[[List of unsolved murders in the United Kingdom]]

==Notes and references==
===Notes===
{{notes}}

===References===
{{reflist|colwidth=25em|refs=}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin}}

====Books====
* {{cite book|last1=Aldrich|first1=Richard J.|title=GCHQ: The Uncensored Story of Britain's Most Secret Intelligence Agency|year=2010|publisher=HarperPress|location=London|isbn=978-0-00-727847-3}}
* {{cite book|last=Andrew|first=Christopher|title=The Defence of the Realm: The Authorized History of MI5|year=2009|publisher=Penguin Books|location=London|isbn=978-0-1410-2330-4}}
* {{cite book|last1=Ashman|first1=Chuck|last2=Trescott|first2=Pamela|title=Outrage: The Abuse of Diplomatic Immunity|year=1986|publisher=W.H. Allen|location=London|isbn=978-0-491-03713-6}}
* {{cite book|last=Belfield|first=Richard|title=The Assassination Business|year=2005|publisher=Carroll & Graf|location=New York|isbn=978-0-7867-1343-1|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/assassinationbus00belf}}
* {{cite book|last1=Davis|first1=Brian|title=Qaddafi, terrorism, and the origins of the U.S. attack on Libya|year=1990|publisher=Praeger|location=New York|isbn=978-0-275-93302-9|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/qaddafiterrorism00davi}}
* {{cite book|last1=Gould|first1=Robert|last2=Waldren|first2=Michael|title=London's Armed Police|year=1986|publisher=Arms and Armour Press|location=London|isbn=978-0-85368-880-8}}
* {{cite book|last1=Jebnoun|first1=Noureddine|last2=Kia|first2=Mehrdad|last3=Kirk|first3=Mimi|title=Modern Middle East Authoritarianism: Roots, Ramifications, and Crisis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BaE3AAAAQBAJ&pg=PP1|year=2013|publisher=Routledge|location=Abingdon, Oxon|isbn=978-1-135-00731-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Kirby|first=Dick|title=Death on the Beat: Police Officers Killed in the Line of Duty|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DeskCwAAQBAJ&pg=PP1|year=2013|publisher=Wharncliffe|location=Barnsley, South Yorkshire|isbn=978-1-84563-161-1}}
* {{cite book|last1=Moss|first1=Alan|last2=Skinner|first2=Keith|author-link2=Keith Skinner|title=Scotland Yard's History of Crime in 100 Objects|year=2015|edition=Kindle|publisher=The History Press|location=Stroud, Glos|isbn=978-0-7509-6655-9}}
* {{cite book|last1=Stern|first1=Chester|title=Dr Iain West's Casebook|year=1997|publisher=Warner Books|location=London|isbn=978-0-7515-1846-7}}
* {{cite book|last=Waite|first=Terry|author-link=Terry Waite|title=Taken on Trust|year=1994|publisher=Coronet|location=London|isbn=978-0-3406-0969-9}}

====Journals and magazines====
* {{cite hansard|last1=Cook|first1=Robin|author-link1=Robin Cook|title=Libya|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1999/jul/07/libya#S6CV0334P0_19990707_HOC_268|house=House of Commons|date=7 July 1999|column_start=1033|column_end=1035|access-date=27 December 2017}}
* {{cite hansard|last1=Dalyell|first1=Tam|author-link1=Tam Dalyell|title=WPC Yvonne Fletcher|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1996/may/08/wpc-yvonne-fletcher#S6CV0277P0_19960508_HOC_64|house=House of Commons|date=8 May 1996|column_start=208|column_end=210|access-date=28 December 2017}}
* {{cite hansard|last1=Gilmour|first1=Ian|author-link1=Ian Gilmour, Baron Gilmour of Craigmillar|title=Anglo-Libyan Relations|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1980/jun/13/anglo-libyan-relations#S5CV0986P0_19800613_HOC_74|house=House of Commons|date=13 June 1980|column_start=1026|column_end=1028|access-date=4 December 2017}}
* {{cite magazine|last1=Lambton|first1=Lucinda|author-link1=Lucinda Lambton|title=Overlooked Britain|magazine=The Oldie|date=1 December 2017|page=88}}
* {{cite hansard|last1=Maclean|first1=David|author-link1=David Maclean|title=WPC Yvonne Fletcher|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1996/may/08/wpc-yvonne-fletcher#S6CV0277P0_19960508_HOC_64|house=House of Commons|date=8 May 1996|column_start=211|column_end=216|access-date=28 December 2017}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Murray|first=John|title=A Day I Shall Never Forget|magazine=Police Federation Magazine|date=October 2009}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Ronen|first1=Yehudit|title=Libya's Conflict with Britain: Analysis of a Diplomatic Rupture|journal=Middle Eastern Studies|date=March 2006|volume=42|issue=2|pages=271–283|jstor=4284446|doi=10.1080/00263200500417645|s2cid=145321917}}
* {{cite ODNB|last=Tendler|first=Stewart|title=Fletcher, Yvonne Joyce|doi=10.1093/ref:odnb/98143|year=2011}}
* {{cite hansard|speaker=Thatcher, Margaret|author-link1=Margaret Thatcher|title=Libya|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1986/apr/16/libya#S6CV0095P0_19860416_HOC_381|house=House of Commons|date=16 April 1986|column_start=875|column_end=878|access-date=27 December 2017|position=Prime Minister|ref={{sfnref|Thatcher|1986}}}}

====News articles====
* {{cite news|title=1984: Libyan embassy shots kill policewoman|publisher=BBC News|date=23 January 2009|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/17/newsid_2488000/2488369.stm|ref={{sfnRef|"1984: Libyan embassy shots kill policewoman", ''BBC News''}}}}
* {{cite news|last1=Aitken|first1=Ian|title=Howe to review laws on diplomats|work=The Guardian|date=26 April 1984|pages=1 and 28}}
* {{cite news|last1=Bennett|first1=Rosemary|title=Libya to join Fletcher inquiry|work=The Times|date=8 April 2004|page=2}}
* {{cite news|last1=Bevins|first1=Anthony|title=Brittan hope for peaceful solution to siege|work=The Times|date=18 April 1984|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Bhatla|first1=Shyam|last2=Mather|first2=Ian|last3=Willey|first3=David|title=Envoys stopped police fingerprinting Libyans|work=The Observer|date=29 April 1984|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Black|first1=Ian|title=Machine gun burst echoed for 15 years|work=The Guardian|date=8 July 1999a|page=6}}
* {{cite news|last1=Black|first1=Ian|title=Britain and Libya renew diplomatic ties|work=The Guardian|date=8 July 1999b|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Brown|first1=Colin|title=Firearms' traces found by bureau window|work=The Guardian|date=2 May 1984|page=8}}
* {{cite news|last1=Burleigh|first1=Michael|title=Inside the mind of a tyrant|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=26 March 2011|page=23}}
* {{cite news|last1=Davis|first1=Margaret|title=Yvonne Fletcher investigation police fly to Libya|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/yvonne-fletcher-investigation-police-fly-to-libya-7953196.html|work=The Independent|date=17 July 2012}}
* {{cite news|last1=Day|first1=Barbara|title=Fiancé at side of dying WPC|work=The Times|date=18 April 1984|page=1}}
* {{cite news|title=Did police constable Yvonne Fletcher need to die?|newspaper=The Economist|date=12 May 1984|page=25|ref={{sfnRef|"Did police constable Yvonne Fletcher need to die?", ''The Economist''}}}}
* {{cite news|last1=Dowden|first1=Richard|title=MPs' visit may bring help to Britons held in Libya|work=The Times|date=22 August 1984|page=4}}
* {{cite news|last1=Dowden|first1=Richard|title=Britons' freedom opens way for thaw with Libya|work=The Times|date=6 February 1985|pages=1 and 28}}
* {{cite news|last1=Evans|first1=Michael|title=Britain's top diplomat boosts Libyan links|work=The Times|date=26 April 2000|page=18}}
* {{cite news|last1=Ezard|first1=John|title=Relatives of four men held in Libya urge Brittan to ease visa restrictions|work=The Guardian|date=4 September 1984|page=2}}
* {{cite news|last1=Gilligan|first1=Andrew|title=Named: the 'killer' of WPc Fletcher; Libyans claim man who shot policewoman is alive and urge detectives to question him 'I keep hearing this name again and again'|work=The Sunday Telegraph|date=15 July 2012|pages=1 and 2}}
* {{cite news|last1=Hamilton|first1=Alan|last2=Tendler|first2=Stewart|last3=Witherow|first3=John|title=London embassy shots kill policewoman|work=The Times|date=18 April 1984a|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Hamilton|first1=Alan|last2=Tendler|first2=Stewart|last3=Witherow|first3=John|title=Gaddafi phones hourly orders to the people's bureau|work=The Times|date=19 April 1984b|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Hawkes|first1=Nigel|title=Exiles dismiss Libya 'killings'|work=The Observer|date=12 August 1984|page=6}}
* {{cite news|last1=Hope|first1=Christopher|last2=Rayner|first2=Gordon|last3=McElroy|first3=Damien|title=Yvonne Fletcher and the betrayal of justice; The evidence is there to prosecute two Libyans, said a CPS report two years ago. So why has nothing been done?|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=16 October 2009|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Hope|first1=Christopher|title=Revealed: Yvonne Fletcher's killer; Junior diplomat was seen by key witness firing a gun, according to secret report Case detectives ready to fly back to Tripoli|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=27 August 2011|pages=1 and 7}}
* {{cite news|last1=Horsnell|first1=Michael|title=Gaddafi men sentence to death two Libyan exiles in London|work=The Times|date=13 June 1980|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Horsnell|first1=Michael|title=Fond farewell to Super Fletch, a diamond of a girl|work=The Times|date=28 April 1984a|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Horsnell|first1=Michael|title=Police have 400 lines of inquiry into WPC's killing|work=The Times|date=11 May 1984b|page=32}}
* {{Cite news|last=Jones|first=Claire|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50334287|title=The 35-year-old vow to a dying police officer|work=BBC News|date=11 November 2019}}
* {{cite news|last1=Keel|first1=Paul|title=WPC's inquest told of Libyan's warning|work=The Guardian|date=10 May 1984a|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Keel|first1=Paul|title=No definite siege suspects—police|work=The Guardian|date=11 May 1984b|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Kerbaj |first1=Richard |author-link=Richard Kerbaj |title=Gaddafi apologises for embassy shooting of WPC|work=The Times|date=27 October 2009|page=13}}
* {{cite news|title=Libyan embassy: history|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8665109/Libyan-embassy-history.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=27 July 2011|ref={{sfnRef|"Libyan embassy: history", "The Daily Telegraph"}}}}
* {{cite news|last1=Low|first1=Robert|last2=Mather|first2=Ian|last3=Bhatia|first3=Shyam|last4=Bailey|first4=Martin|last5=Nally|first5=Michael|last6=Lashmar|first6=Paul|title=Murder in St James's Square|work=The Observer|date=22 April 1984|page=3}}
* {{cite news|last1=Lycett|first1=Andrew|author-link=Andrew Lycett|title=Signs of tougher Gaddafi line on dissidents began over a year ago|work=The Times|date=18 April 1984|page=2}}
* {{cite news|last1=McGrory|first1=Daniel|title=WPC's killer 'may escape justice'|work=The Times|date=26 March 2004|page=4}}
* {{cite news|last1=Mather|first1=Ian|title=Why envoys are inviolate|work=The Observer|date=22 April 1984|page=3}}
* {{cite news|last1=Nordheimer|first1=Jon|title=Libyan exiles in Britain live in fear of Qaddafi assassins|work=The New York Times|date=25 April 1984|page=1}}
* {{cite news|title=Obituaries: General Abdel Fattah Younes; Confidant of Libya's Col Gaddafi who defected to the rebel cause and became commander of its forces|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=30 July 2011|page=29|ref={{sfnRef|"Obituaries: General Abdel Fattah Younes". ''The Daily Telegraph''}}}}
* {{cite news|last1=Parry|first1=Gareth|last2=Keel|first2=Paul|last3=White|first3=Michael|last4=Kealtey|first4=Patrick|title=Brittan orders 'wait and talk' tactics over siege|work=The Guardian|date=18 April 1984|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Parry|first1=Gareth|last2=Kirby|first2=Alex|title=Britain breaks off diplomatic ties with Libya|work=The Guardian|date=23 April 1984|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Parry|first1=Gareth|title=Wounded police woman dies in hospital|work=The Guardian|date=18 April 1984|pages=1 and 3}}
* {{cite news|last1=Rawlinson|first1=Kevin|last2=Dodd|first2=Vikram|title=Yvonne Fletcher murder inquiry dropped over national security fears|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/may/16/yvonne-fletcher-inquiry-dropped-over-national-security-fears|work=The Guardian|date=16 May 2017}}
* {{cite news|last1=Samstag|first1=Tony|title=Without them there would be no law and no liberty|work=The Times|date=2 February 1985|page=2}}
* {{cite news|last1=Singer|first1=Angela|title=The tiny girl who 'mothered' recruits|work=The Guardian|date=18 April 1984|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Spencer|first1=Richard|title=Libyan 'behind Yvonne Fletcher's killing' found dead|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/libya/8731283/Libyan-behind-Yvonne-Fletchers-killing-found-dead.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=30 August 2011}}
* {{cite news|last1=Stanhope|first1=Henry|title=Diplomats released from Tripoli embassy detention|work=The Times|date=19 April 1984|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Townsend|first1=Mark|title=Yvonne Fletcher: the net closes in: Libya helps Scotland Yard hunt embassy sniper in return for moves to free Lockerbie bomber|work=The Observer|date=24 June 2007|page=4}}
* {{cite news|last1=Walker|first1=Martin|title=Supper at home for ambassador|work=The Guardian|date=19 April 1984|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Webster|first1=Philip|title=Libyans offer olive branch on killing|work=The Times|date=26 February 2004|page=2}}
* {{cite news|last1=Willey|first1=David|last2=Raphael|first2=Adam|last3=Mather|first3=Ian|title=Qadhafi offers 'team to help find siege killer'|work=The Observer|date=22 April 1984|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Winner|first1=Michael|author-link=Michael Winner|title=Outrage at Libyan People's Bureau|work=The Times|date=21 April 1984|page=9}}
* {{cite news|last1=Winnett|first1=Robert|title=Britain 'sold its soul' to Libya deal|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=15 September 2009|page=1}}
* {{cite news|last1=Witherow|first1=John|last2=Tendler|first2=Stewart|title=Policewoman's killer goes free at end of St James's siege|work=The Times|date=28 April 1984|pages=1 and 34}}
* {{cite news|title=Yvonne Fletcher shooting: Libyan close to Gaddafi found jointly liable for killing of PC|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59306466|work=BBC News|date=16 November 2021|ref={{sfnRef|"Yvonne Fletcher shooting: Libyan close to Gaddafi found jointly liable for killing of PC". ''BBC News''}}}}

====Websites and television====
* {{cite web|last1=Allen|first1=Chris|title=Money laundering charges dropped against Gaddafi minister accused of PC murder|url=http://www.policeprofessional.com/news.aspx?id=26777|website=Police Professional|access-date=27 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171227085234/http://www.policeprofessional.com/news.aspx?id=26777|archive-date=27 December 2017|date=2 August 2016}}
* {{cite AV media|date=10 April 1996|title=Dispatches: Murder in St James's|medium=Television production|publisher=Channel 4|ref={{sfnRef|''Dispatches: Murder in St James's'', 10 April 1996}}}}
* {{cite web|last1=Hudson|first1=Nick|title=Public will want answers to 'ending of WPC Yvonne Fletcher murder hunt', ex-force heads warn|url=http://www.policeprofessional.com/news.aspx?id=29330|website=Police Professional|access-date=27 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170528122035/http://www.policeprofessional.com/news.aspx?id=29330|archive-date=28 May 2017|date=17 May 2017}}
* {{cite web|last=Islam|first=Carl|title=The inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises|url=http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/the-inviolability-diplomatic-and-consular-premises|date=29 June 1988|publisher=The Law Society|access-date=28 December 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120817234229/http://www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/the-inviolability-diplomatic-and-consular-premises|archive-date=17 August 2012}}
* {{cite web|title=The Police Memorial Trust|url=http://www.policememorial.org.uk/index.php?page=police-memorial-trust|website=Police Roll of Honour Trust|access-date=26 December 2017|ref={{sfnRef|"The Police Memorial Trust". ''Police Roll of Honour Trust''}}}}
* {{cite AV media|date=2 September 2010|title=Real Crime: Yvonne Fletcher|medium=Television production|publisher=ITV|ref={{sfnRef|''Real Crime: Yvonne Fletcher'', 2 September 2010}}}}
* {{cite web|title=St James's Square: Timeline|url=https://www.stjamessquaretrust.co.uk/timeline|website=St James's Square Trust|access-date=28 December 2017|ref={{sfnRef|"St James's Square: Timeline". ''St James's Square Trust''}}}}
* {{cite web|last1=Thatcher|first1=Margaret|author-link1=Margaret Thatcher|title=Speech at Memorial Ceremony for WPC Yvonne Fletcher|url=http://www.margaretthatcher.org/document/105954|website=Margaret Thatcher Foundation|access-date=26 December 2017|date=1 February 1985}}
* {{cite web|title=Today: 24th February 2004|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ztuesday_20040224.shtml|website=BBC Radio|access-date=26 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070308174923/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/listenagain/ztuesday_20040224.shtml|url-status=dead|archive-date = 8 March 2007|ref={{sfnRef|"Today: 24th February 2004". ''BBC Radio''}}}}
* {{cite web|title=WPC Yvonne Fletcher|url=http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/39719|website=Imperial War Museums|access-date=28 December 2017|ref={{sfnRef|"WPC Yvonne Fletcher". ''Imperial War Museums''}}}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* "[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3567951.stm Timeline: WPC Yvonne Fletcher]" at [[BBC News]], 25 March 2004
* "[http://thepolicememorialtrust.org/wpc-yvonne-fletcher/ WPC Yvonne Fletcher]" at the [[Police Memorial Trust]]
* "[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/yvonne-fletcher Yvonne Fletcher]" at ''[[The Guardian]]''

{{Mass shootings in the United Kingdom}}
{{Murders in the United Kingdom in the 1980s}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Fletcher, Yvonne}}

[[Category:1980s in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:1980s murders in London]]
[[Category:1984 crimes in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1984 in international relations]]
[[Category:1984 in London]]
[[Category:1984 mass shootings in Europe]]
[[Category:1984 murders in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:April 1984 in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Crime in the City of Westminster]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in London]]
[[Category:Deaths by person in London]]
[[Category:Diplomatic incidents]]
[[Category:Female murder victims in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Libya–United Kingdom relations]]
[[Category:Mass shootings in London]]
[[Category:20th-century British police officers]]
[[Category:Metropolitan Police officers]]
[[Category:Metropolitan Police officers killed in the line of duty]]
[[Category:Protest-related deaths]]
[[Category:Unsolved murders in London]]
[[Category:Violence against women in London]]
[[Category:Women in law enforcement]]