Blog entry 13th January 2014
I hope that everyone had a very good festive period. Despite the luxury the national press would have their patrons believe prisoners enjoy reality was far from the truth.
Except for Christmas Eve afternoon when my fiancee Carol visited I worked the entire period. The extent of the prison's effort for Christmas was what they call half a baby chicken for Christmas Day dinner. For most of the other meals the prison kitchen couldn't even manage to stick to what it had published as the 'menu'. So for most of us here at Wakefield we didn't receive our full meals.
On to legal news. My new solicitors now have the last of the documentation that the prosecution have disclosed to date. However, we know that the Crown are still withholding other vital documents. With what they currently have my solicitors should soon ask a barrister to formulate an advice on appeal. If formulated correctly this will recommend;
- Re-testing of the DNA samples.
- Seeking disclosure of the documentation the Crown are still withholding, among other thing.
On December 13th 2013 Victor Nealon, a fellow Wakefield hostage won his appeal after re-testing of DNA in his case proved he could not be guilty. Victor had been held hostage by the state for 17 years. Because he'd maintained his innocence Wakefield made this innocent man's life a nightmare labelling him as being in denial. He'd been denied privileges, refused parole and forced to spend periods in segregation just because he refused to compromise his innocence. The Crown, Government, prison authorities and probation service should hang their heads in shame, as should the jury who stole 17 years of an innocent man's life by convicting him. As for the police, the officers and forensic science service personnel who cared about a conviction at any cost over and above true justice should face criminal proceedings for conspiracy to commit a false conviction.
For the likes of Dave Mulcahy, Michael Stone, Omar Benguit, Mark Sleightholme and myself, Victor's eventual successful appeal gives us hope. It proves that even after 17 years a competent legal team willing to do the job properly by going the extra yard can get us justice.