AN ULVERSTON woman abducted by pirates from an east African island has said a man convicted in connection with her husband's murder is innocent.

David Tebbutt, 58, was shot and killed when the group burst into the couple's villa at a remote resort in September 2011, while his wife Judith was abducted and taken to Somalia where she was held for more than six months before eventually being released.

Ali Babitu Kololo, who guided the kidnappers to the resort and the Tebbutts' location, was found guilty of robbery with violence, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said in 2013.

He was convicted following an investigation by the Kenyan authorities with assistance by officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command (SO15).

Mrs Tebbutt says she believes Kololo is an innocent man who did not get a fair trial.

In an interview with BBC News, she said: "If there has been a miscarriage of justice, it needs to be investigated.

"If I had been murdered, David... he would be sat here now because he was a really good man, and he was an honourable man.

"And the honourable thing now to do is to hopefully get a fair trial for Mr Kololo."

She said a fair trial is "the least that he deserves", adding: "I think a wrong should be righted. And when I say wrong I mean the fact that Mr Kololo didn't have a fair trial."

The BBC also reported that former Met officer Detective Superintendent Neil Hibberd, who led the team from SO15, is under investigation.

Asked about an investigation into Mr Hibberd, the National Crime Agency said: "We can confirm that the NCA is carrying out a managed investigation on behalf of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), relating to matters preceding the conviction of Ali Kololo in Kenya in 2013.

"This investigation follows a referral from the Metropolitan Police. We are unable to comment further while inquiries are ongoing."

Asked about an investigation into Mr Hibberd, the Metropolitan Police said: "In January 2016, the MPS received an allegation of misconduct against a then serving officer in MPS Specialist Operations.

"In March 2016, the MPS Directorate of Professional Standards referred this allegation to the IOPC.

"In December 2016, the IOPC referred the matter back to the MPS to deal with. However, following an appeal to the IOPC from the complainant in January 2017, the IOPC launched an independent investigation into the allegations in April 2017.

"In November 2017 the IOPC reviewed and changed this to a managed investigation. The MPS referred the managed investigation to the NCA in June 2018."

The Met said the investigation is ongoing, and therefore it would not be appropriate for them to comment further.

An IOPC spokeswoman said: "Since June 2018, the National Crime Agency has been conducting a managed investigation on our behalf.

"The investigation is examining the actions of a retired senior Metropolitan Police Service officer prior to the conviction of Ali Kololo in Kenya in 2013."

Mrs Tebbutt told the BBC: "Mr Neil Hibberd said to me that if it was the last thing that he did he would find the murderer of David and the people responsible for abducting me. And I believed him. I really believed him.

"I think they have to take ownership of what they did back in 2011 - the team that helped to convict Mr Kololo - an innocent man."

A small team of SO15 officers travelled to Kenya shortly after Mr Tebbutt's murder and matched footprints found on the beach after his wife's abduction to the shoes worn by Kololo when he was arrested shortly after the incident.

Officers also provided expertise in forensic evidence, assisted Kenyan prosecutors as they prepared for the trial and provided family liaison support to the family.

Kololo denied the charges against him.

The Tebbutts travelled to the resort, which is close to the African country's border with Somalia, after visiting the Masai Mara game reserve.

Mrs Tebbutt, a former social worker, was reported to have told Kololo's trial she immediately felt nervous about security after arriving at the beach resort for the two-week stay and was uneasy that she and her husband were the only guests.

The BBC said Mr Hibberd's lawyers told them that he intends to co-operate with the investigation.