U.K.: Murder conviction quashed after 14 years

A 36-year-old man who spent more than 14 years of his life in jail for the murder of a retired science teacher has been freed by Britain's Court of Appeal after judges ruled his conviction had been "unsafe". Andrew Adams, found guilty of shooting dead 58-year-old Jack Royal in Newcastle in 1990, had always maintained his innocence. Mr Adams said he had been deprived of a fair trial by incompetent defence representation and because the prosecution had failed to disclose evidence.

His appeal lawyers also argued the original trial judge had made summing-up errors and that the jury were given inadmissible evidence. Three Appeal Court judges ruled that individually the criticisms and failures did not warrant the conviction being quashed but that taken together they did. "We are quite satisfied that, taken together, cumulatively they were sufficient to render the verdict unsafe," said Lord Justice Gage.

Speaking outside court, Mr Adams said he was delighted to be free, but angry that he had ever been convicted. "I feel bitter that my original trial lawyers let me down so badly. At the time I was charged I was 21 years old. I turned to them for help and assistance which I did not get in the way I ought to have done," he said. He said his joy on being released was tinged by sadness. "My one great sadness about today is that my (late) mum cannot be here to share this moment with me."

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said they would not seek a retrial of Mr Adams because if he were re-convicted he would be released almost immediately because of the jail time he has already served. A CPS spokesman said that during the appeal hearing it was clear that witnesess had experienced "great difficulty in remembering events" which would also pose problems for any retrial.

Northumbria Police, the force responsible for investigating Mr Royal's murder, said it was too early to say whether they would reopen the case. "The Court of Appeal has made its decision and we accept that. We will not be making any further comment until we have had the opportunity to study the court's findings in detail," Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Bolam said.

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