A judge who freed a policeman accused of murdering his wife, enabling him apparently to kill again, said yesterday that he could not remember why he had granted bail.

An investigation is under way into why Garry Weddell, 47, was released from custody before standing trial accused of strangling his wife, Sandra, and faking her suicide.

The Metropolitan Police inspector is thought to have shot himself in a field near a shooting club after killing Traute Maxfield, his mother-in-law, who had been due to give evidence against him.

Judge John Bevan, who granted bail, said that he could not remember the circumstances of the application.

He said yesterday: “I hope there will be transcripts of the two bail applications. These would explain things. I can’t remember the precise details so it would be wholly inappropriate to comment at this time. I don’t know what may happen in the future.”

Calls have intensified for an inquiry into how someone on such a serious charge could have been granted bail.

It has also emerged that Weddell’s legal team attempted to get his bail conditions relaxed even further once he had been freed.

Nick Herbert, the Shadow Justice Secretary, said: “This case raises very serious questions and the public will find it extraordinary that anybody on a murder charge should be given bail. It is very unusual and there should be a full inquiry into why it happened.”

The Crown Prosecution Service said that it had opposed the bail application and subsequent attempts to relax the bail conditions.

It emerged yesterday that Weddell may have killed his mother-in-law because he believed that she had convinced police that he was responsible for the mysterious death of her daughter. Friends said that Mrs Maxfield, 70, was to be a key witness in the prosecution case that Weddell had strangled her daughter last January. She claimed that Weddell had faked her daughter’s suicide at their £450,000 home in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. The couple have three young children.

A member of Mrs Weddell’s family said yesterday that Mrs Maxfield was determined to get justice for her 44-year-old daughter. Patsy Mowbray said: “The family were torn apart by Sandra’s death. They never got over it or forgot it. She has constantly been on their minds.”

Suzanne Locks, 72, a close friend of Mrs Maxfield, said that she often spoke of her concerns about Weddell’s forthcoming trial and her fear that he would be freed.

“She was very worried about the whole situation,” said Mrs Locks. She feared that her son-in-law would be let off when the case came up in May.”

Explore Law

• Corporate Law

• Public Law

• Columnists

• Law Panel

• Student Law

• Law Reports

Times Recommends

• Are top lawyers worth their huge fees?
• Solicitor forced to retire claims 'ageism'
• Drug case failure may be last straw for SFO