Oliver Campbell, who was convicted of murder in 1991 at the age of 19, has had his conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal, Sky News reports.
Campbell was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of shopkeeper Baldev Hoondle in Hackney, east London.
His conviction was declared “unsafe” by three judges who ruled on Wednesday, citing concerns about the evidence presented at his trial and the extent of his mental health issues.
Campbell’s lawyers argued that the jury was not fully informed about his severe brain damage, which impacted his cognitive abilities. They also pointed out that evidence suggesting another man was the actual gunman was not presented during the trial.
Campbell, who has been living under strict conditions since his release on license in 2002, maintains that he confessed to detectives under duress. He has consistently argued that he was wrongly arrested, convicted, and jailed.
Further evidence supporting his claim included the discovery of a hat found at the crime scene, which Campbell admitted was his but had been taken from him days before the robbery. While the hat contained hair, none of it belonged to Campbell. Additionally, the gunman was described as right-handed, while Campbell is left-handed.
Despite losing his first appeal and having a second appeal application rejected by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), Campbell eventually persuaded the CCRC that his case warranted a second look.
The Court of Appeal, in its ruling, acknowledged that the new evidence, including the extent of Campbell’s mental health issues, could significantly alter the outcome of the trial.
