Stephen was born in Guernsey, Channel Islands shortly before the outbreak of W.W.II and later illegally deported to concentration camps in Germany with his family. He describes these horrendous events in his book 'The Day The Nazis Came'. Following liberation by Free French Forces in 1945 the family returned to Guernsey where he was educated at Elizabeth College. He undertook his business training with Maple & Co Ltd of Tottenham Court Road and later joined the Northern Rhodesia Police (A British Protectorate) in 1959, with the express purpose of helping to Africanise the force prior to independence. He underwent a series of intensive courses in Criminal and Civil Law, African Languages and Para-military training.

In five years of continuous service, Stephen was ambushed, stoned, knifed, attacked with a metal bar and seriously injured, wounded by bow and arrow and shotgun. He had his hand broken several times and his life was saved on several occasions by his dedicated team of African detectives and his loyal dog Alex, the Doberman (regarded as a witchdoctor by local tribesmen).

Stephen was even threatened twice with Court Martial, however, he gained a plethora of awards and commendations and was finally granted early promotion as the youngest officer ever so promoted in any British Colonial Police Force. He met with Presidents, such as President Tsombe of Katanga, and he personally foiled a potential assassination attempt on the life of President-Elect, Kenneth Kaunda. He personally saved Wild Geese Mercenaries from being ambushed in the Congo, tracked down an International Terrorist, investigated several witchcraft murders, and dealt with cannibalism, and he even took part in the search for the downed aircraft of UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, still the subject of controversy to this day.