List of failed and overturned convictions involving the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad

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Between 1974 and 1989, the West Midlands Police force operated the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad. It was disbanded after allegations of endemic misconduct, leading to a series of unsafe convictions. These included allegations that officers had falsified confessions in witness statements, denied suspects access to solicitors and used torture such as "plastic bagging" to partially suffocate suspects in order to extract confessions. They were alleged to have abused payments to informers. A series of around 40 prosecutions failed in the late 1980s as defendants showed that evidence had or may have been tampered with. West Yorkshire Police led an investigation which led to a small number of internal disciplinary proceedings, but did not recommend any prosecutions for lack of evidence. However, over 60 convictions secured from their investigations have now been quashed, including those of the Birmingham Six and Bridgewater Four. The failed prosecutions and overturned convictions are listed here in two separate tables.

Contents

List of failed prosecutions

AccusedProblemResultYear
David Moss
Rashan Khela
Brian Ward
John Rowley
Malcolm Firksins
James Redmond
John Braniff
Confessions obtained improperlyCharges dropped1981
Carla Nota AntonioFabricated confessionAcquitted1982
George TwitchellSubjected to duress
Timings inconsistent
Acquitted1982
Derek GordonFabricated confessionCharges dropped1982
Malcolm HerringFabricated confessionAcquitted1985
William Barrett
Calvin Walters
Donald Patterson
Evidence planted
confessions fabricated
Acquitted1986
Clifford Jones
John o'Brien
Chris Turner
Harry Elwell
Confessions fabricated
Timings inconsistent
Judge directed acquittal1987
John Bullivant
Hubert Forbes
Leo Morgan
Wesley Stewart
Evidence planted
confessions fabricated
Timings inconsistent
Flawed identification
Missing document
Acquitted1987
Paul DandyConfession fabricatedCharges dropped1987
Norman Manning
Derek Manning
Planted forensic evidence
Tainted by Dandy case
Charges dropped1988
Vincent PalmerTainted by Dandy caseCharges dropped1988
Jahved Akhtar
Tracy Evans
improperly organised identity paradesJudge directed acquittal1988
Eileen McCabeDenied solicitor
Confessed under duress
Judge directed acquittal1988
Leroy Francis
Ramsingh Nowjadicksingh
DC Shaw discredited as witness
Missing surveillance evidence
Acquitted1988
Paul FitzSimmonsDC McManus discredited as witness
Confessed under duress
Evidence lost
Judge directed acquittal1988
Robert Burston
Alexander Davies
Ernest Callaghan
Anthony Waldron
Original interview notes lost
Fabricated forensic evidence
Judge directed acquittal1988
Paul HarrisConfession fabricated
denied access to solicitor
Judge directed acquittal1989
Gibbs
Samuels
Francis [1]
Confessions extracted under duress
Fabricated of evidence
Undue pressure on witness
Charges dropped1989
Ronnie BoldenConfession fabricacted
Fabrication of defence solicitor attempting bribe
Fabricated forensic evidence
Acquitted1989
Harry AllanUndue pressure on witnessCharges dropped1990

Table derived from Kaye 1991 , pp. 87–9

List of convictions quashed at appeal

Below are the names of those whose trials were re-examined after their investigations by the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad and subsequent convictions were thought to be potentially unsound. [2] Also included is the later case of Lloyd George Fraser, involving former officers of the squad, where the conviction was quashed because of their involvement. Three others had their convictions quashed in 1985, before the allegations of systemic misconduct were widely accepted (see Tarlochan Singh Gill).

NameStatusCase dateAppeal dateNotes
Paul Alberici [3] Conviction quashed19861999Convicted with Clancy
Gary M Binham [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Michael T Bromell [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Donald Brown [5] [6] Conviction quashed19791999Same case as Ronald and John Brown, and Treadaway
Ronald Brown [5] [6] Conviction quashed19791999Same case as John and Donald Brown, Dunne and Treadaway
John Lewis Brown [7] Conviction quashed19792005Same case as Ronald and Donald Brown, Dunne and Treadaway
Hugh CallaghanConviction quashed19741991 Birmingham Six
Trevor Campbell [8] Conviction quashed19841999
Geoffrey Cheetham [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Thomas Clancy [3] Conviction quashed19861996Three years before his co-defendant Alberici
Valentine P Cooke [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
John Joseph Cummiskey [9] [10] Conviction quashed19842003Convicted with Roy Meads
Michael Dunne [6] Conviction quashed19792011Same case as John, Ronald and Donald Brown, and Treadaway
John Edwards [4] Conviction quashed1991 [11]
Martin Foran [12] Conviction quashed19842013
Martin Foran [13] Conviction quashed19782014
Adolphus Francis [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Lloyd George Fraser [14] [15] Conviction quashed19912003Former officers of the squad, after it had been disbanded
Raymond Fryer [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Gerard Gall [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Ronald T Gall [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Patrick Gaughan [5] Conviction quashed19791999Same case as Ronald and Donald Brown, Dunne and Treadaway
Tarlochan Singh Gill + 3 ors [16] Conviction quashed19841994
Christopher Hagans [6] Conviction quashed2011
Delroy Hare [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Robert Haughton [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Paddy HillConviction quashed19741991Birmingham Six
George A Hinds [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Leslie B Horobin [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Gerard HunterConviction quashed19741991Birmingham Six
Patrick Irvine [6] [17] Conviction quashed19802011
Elvis Jeffers [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Hassan Khan [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1991See also Hansard 1991 , p. 1224
George G Lewis [4] Conviction quashed1987Before 1994
Paul R Lindo [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Daniel Lynch [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Trevor McCalla [18] Conviction quashed1995Served 18 months
John Lyon Mccloy [6] Conviction quashed19802011
Richard McIlkennyConviction quashed19741991Birmingham Six
Thomas Dennis Mcmillan [19] Conviction quashed2012
Roy MeadsConviction quashed [20] 19841996Convicted with Cummiskey
David Murphy [21] Conviction quashed2006With Patrick O'Toole
Anne Marie Murray [22] [23] Conviction quashed2003
Patrick O'Toole [21] Conviction quashed2006With David Murphy
Keith Parchment [24] Conviction quashed1991
Billy PowerConviction quashed19741991Birmingham Six
Patrick Smith [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Tanochan [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Derek Treadaway [6] [25] Conviction quashed19791996Same case as Dunne and John, Ronald and Donald Brown
Trevor McCalla [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Keith Twitchell [6] [17] Conviction quashed19802002
John WalkerConviction quashed19741991Birmingham Six
Anthony Wellington [26] Conviction quashed1991
Constantine Wellington [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Kevin Wilcox [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
Lawrence Wilcox [27] Conviction quashed2010
Seymour Williams [4] Conviction quashedBefore 1994
John Wilson [6] Conviction quashed2011

List derived from MOJUK 2018

List of overturned convictions from the Regional Crime Squad

NameStatusCase dateAppeal dateNotes
Vincent HickeyConviction quashed19781997 Bridgewater Four
Michael HickeyConviction quashed19781997Bridgewater Four
Pat MolloyConviction quashed19781997Bridgewater Four
James RobinsonConviction quashed19781997Bridgewater Four

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References

  1. Hansard 1991
  2. See MOJUK 2018 for the original list
  3. 1 2 Staff reporter 1999
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Hansard 1994
  5. 1 2 3 Burrell 1999
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Birmingham Live 2011b
  7. Bourke 2005
  8. Unknown 1999
  9. BBC News 2003, Coventry Live 2003
  10. "CUMMISKEY, John Joseph". Criminal Cases Review Commission.
  11. Allen 1994 , p. 368
  12. McCarthy 2013
  13. Pitchford, Dingemans & William Davis 2014
  14. Auld, Aikens & Grigson 2003
  15. "FRASER, Lloyd George". Criminal Cases Review Commission.
  16. Kirby 1994
  17. 1 2 Mitchell & Keith 2002
  18. Inside Justice 2018
  19. Safari 2012
  20. Kay, Gibbs & Evans 2003b
  21. 1 2 BBC News 2006
  22. Kay, Gibbs & Evans 2003a
  23. "MURRAY, Anne Marie". Criminal Cases Review Commission.
  24. Rose, Jowitt & Hooper 1999
  25. Rose 1996
  26. Mullin 1991, Statewatch 1992
  27. Birmingham Post & Mail 2010

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