Micarriage of Justice: Oliver Campbell.
Oliver Campbell, a young black man with learning difficulties, was convicted in 1991 for the murder of Baldee Hoondle, an off -licence owner, during a robbery in North East London in July 1990.
He was released on life licence in 2002.
BBC’s Rough Justice programme “If the Cap Fits” shown on January 6th 2002 presented clear evidence that Oliver’s prosecution and conviction were a miscarriage of justice. The Guardian’s Peter Lennon also wrote an article on January 1st 2002. The programme showed how the police abused their power with regards to a person with learning difficulties. “If the Cap Fits” also showed that a crucial piece of evidence was a baseball cap dropped by the murderer as he ran from the off-licence. Oliver’s fingerprints were not found at the scene and hairs from the cap were not his. Not one shred of forensic evidence was found linking Oliver to the scene. Experts presented testimony that the gunman shot the shopkeeper with his right hand. Oliver is left handed. At the Identity Parade, neither of the two witnesses picked out Oliver as the man in the cap. The two robbers were said to be between 5 feet 10 inches and 5 feet 11 inches tall. Oliver stands at 6 feet 3 inches. Oliver’s co-accused, convicted for 5 years for robbery, gave a statement to the police naming another man as the murderer. This evidence was not disclosed to the defence nor presented in court. Oliver’s conviction was based wholly on a confession extracted in the absence of his solicitor and following false claims made by police that his hairs were found in the baseball cap and his fingerprints were found at the scene.
Ever since the “confession” Oliver has consistently protested his innocence.
He has spent 11 years in prison on the basis of a confession that contradicts the forensic and witness evidence.
Despite overwhelming evidence that Oliver Campbell is innocent of this terrible crime the Criminal Cases Review Commision rejected Oliver’s appeal in 2005.
On the 10th December 2013 it will be 22 years to the day that Oliver was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. He has been fighting for justice and to clear his name ever since.
Please share this blog to highlight and support his campaign for justice.
DEMAND JUSTICE NOW FOR OLIVER CAMPBELL.
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