By Kirsty Smallman

A Shropshire man serving a life sentence for the brutal killing of a pensioner was today named as the prime suspect in the murder of county antiques dealer Trevor Bradley.

Prosecutors today said they were examining a police file on Robin Stanislaus Ligus, now 58, in relation to the killing of Mr Bradley, of Sidney Road, Ludlow, 16 years ago.

The 53-year-old’s charred body was found behind the front seats of his burnt out Vauxhall Nova car in Melverley, near Oswestry, in April 1994.

Ligus was jailed for life at Stafford Crown Court in 1996 after he admitted killing Shrewsbury pensioner Robert Molison Young by stabbing him repeatedly with a chisel in his own home during a burglary. Ligus is not eligible to apply for parole until 2013.

The naming of Ligus as the prime suspect comes as Mr Bradley’s brother Mickey demanded to know why nobody had been charged in connection with the killing.

He said he would not rest until somebody was brought to justice.

Crown Prosecution Service spokeswoman Kate Pearce said: “The CPS is still considering a file in relation to Robin Ligus and at this stage it would not be appropriate to comment further.

Evidence

“The CPS, when considering whether or not to prosecute a case, has to carefully review all the evidence that has been provided by the police. In a complex case this may take some time. We hope to be making a decision in this case soon and once we have reached one we will then inform all interested parties of the outcome of our decision.”

In July the body of Trevor Bradley was exhumed from Henley Road Cemetery in Ludlow for tests to be carried out.

Following those tests, police said “significant information” had come to light regarding his death and handed the case file to the CPS.

Mr Bradley said: “Obviously they must have had very good information to do it, but what has become of it? If nothing becomes of it I will be asking some very serious questions.

“I’m 57 and I’m hoping that there is another 30 years left in me — and I will be asking questions for another 30 years if they do not come up with something.”

West Mercia Police spokeswoman Rachel Anstee said officers had been advised by the CPS it would be July before a decision was made on the case.

The investigation into Mr Bradley’s death was re-opened three years ago after a £10,000 reward was offered for information about his death.

He was found dead 24 hours after leaving the home of one of his other brothers, telling him he would be back in 20 minutes. Detectives believe he could have been in a fight with a gang of people he knew moments before they burned his car with him inside.

No-one has ever been charged in connection with his killing.