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

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.

List of failed prosecutions Accused Problem Result Year David MossRashan KhelaBrian WardJohn RowleyMalcolm FirksinsJames RedmondJohn Braniff Confessions obtained improperly Charges dropped 1981 Carla Nota Antonio Fabricated confession Acquitted 1982 George Twitchell Subjected to duressTimings inconsistent Acquitted 1982 Derek Gordon Fabricated confession Charges dropped 1982 Malcolm Herring Fabricated confession Acquitted 1985 William BarrettCalvin WaltersDonald Patterson Evidence plantedconfessions fabricated Acquitted 1986 Clifford JonesJohn o'BrienChris TurnerHarry Elwell Confessions fabricatedTimings inconsistent Judge directed acquittal 1987 John BullivantHubert ForbesLeo MorganWesley Stewart Evidence plantedconfessions fabricatedTimings inconsistentFlawed identificationMissing document Acquitted 1987 Paul Dandy Confession fabricated Charges dropped 1987 Norman ManningDerek Manning Planted forensic evidenceTainted by Dandy case Charges dropped 1988 Vincent Palmer Tainted by Dandy case Charges dropped 1988 Jahved AkhtarTracy Evans improperly organised identity parades Judge directed acquittal 1988 Eileen McCabe Denied solicitorConfessed under duress Judge directed acquittal 1988 Leroy FrancisRamsingh Nowjadicksingh DC Shaw discredited as witnessMissing surveillance evidence Acquitted 1988 Paul FitzSimmons DC McManus discredited as witnessConfessed under duressEvidence lost Judge directed acquittal 1988 Robert BurstonAlexander DaviesErnest CallaghanAnthony Waldron Original interview notes lostFabricated forensic evidence Judge directed acquittal 1988 Paul Harris Confession fabricateddenied access to solicitor Judge directed acquittal 1989 GibbsSamuelsFrancis Confessions extracted under duressFabrication of evidenceUndue pressure on witness Charges dropped 1989 Ronnie Bolden Confession fabricactedFabrication of defence solicitor attempting bribeFabricated forensic evidence Acquitted 1989 Harry Allan Undue pressure on witness Charges dropped 1990 Table derived from

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.See for the original list 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).

Name Status Case date Appeal date Notes Paul Alberici Conviction quashed 1986 1999 Convicted with Clancy Gary M Binham Conviction quashed Before 1994 Michael T Bromell Conviction quashed Before 1994 Donald Brown Conviction quashed 1979 1999 Same case as Ronald and John Brown, and Treadaway Ronald Brown Conviction quashed 1979 1999 Same case as John and Donald Brown, Dunne and Treadaway John Lewis Brown Conviction quashed 1979 2005 Same case as Ronald and Donald Brown, Dunne and Treadaway Hugh Callaghan Conviction quashed 1974 1991 Birmingham Six Trevor CampbellConviction quashed 1984 1999 Geoffrey Cheetham Conviction quashed Before 1994 Thomas Clancy Conviction quashed 1986 1996 Three years before his co-defendant Alberici Valentine P Cooke Conviction quashed Before 1994 John Joseph Cummiskey, Conviction quashed 1984 2003 Convicted with Roy Meads Michael Dunne Conviction quashed 1979 2011 Same case as John, Ronald and Donald Brown, and Treadaway John Edwards Conviction quashed 1991 Martin Foran Conviction quashed 1984 2013 Martin Foran Conviction quashed 1978 2014 Adolphus Francis Conviction quashed Before 1994 Lloyd George Fraser Conviction quashed 1991 2003 Former officers of the squad, after it had been disbanded Raymond Fryer Conviction quashed Before 1994 Gerard Gall Conviction quashed Before 1994 Ronald T Gall Conviction quashed Before 1994 Patrick Gaughan Conviction quashed 1979 1999 Same case as Ronald and Donald Brown, Dunne and Treadaway Tarlochan Singh Gill + 3 ors Conviction quashed 1984 1994 Christopher Hagans Conviction quashed 2011 Delroy Hare Conviction quashed Before 1994 Robert Haughton Conviction quashed Before 1994 Paddy Hill Conviction quashed 1974 1991 Birmingham Six George A Hinds Conviction quashed Before 1994 Leslie B Horobin Conviction quashed Before 1994 Gerard Hunter Conviction quashed 1974 1991 Birmingham Six Patrick Irvine Conviction quashed 1980 2011 Elvis Jeffers Conviction quashed Before 1994 Hassan Khan Conviction quashed Before 1991 See also George G Lewis Conviction quashed 1987 Before 1994 Paul R Lindo Conviction quashed Before 1994 Daniel Lynch Conviction quashed Before 1994 Trevor McCalla Conviction quashed 1995 Served 18 months John Lyon Mccloy Conviction quashed 1980 2011 Richard McIlkenny Conviction quashed 1974 1991 Birmingham Six Thomas Dennis Mcmillan Conviction quashed 2012 Roy Meads Conviction quashed 1984 1996 Convicted with Cummiskey David Murphy Conviction quashed 2006 With Patrick O'Toole Anne Marie Murray Conviction quashed 2003 Patrick O'Toole Conviction quashed 2006 With David Murphy Keith Parchment Conviction quashed 1991 Billy Power Conviction quashed 1974 1991 Birmingham Six Patrick Smith Conviction quashed Before 1994 Tanochan Conviction quashed Before 1994 Derek Treadaway Conviction quashed 1979 1996 Same case as Dunne and John, Ronald and Donald Brown Trevor McCalla Conviction quashed Before 1994 Keith Twitchell Conviction quashed 1980 2002 John Walker Conviction quashed 1974 1991 Birmingham Six Anthony Wellington, Conviction quashed 1991 Constantine Wellington Conviction quashed Before 1994 Kevin Wilcox Conviction quashed Before 1994 Lawrence Wilcox Conviction quashed 2010 Seymour Williams Conviction quashed Before 1994 John Wilson Conviction quashed 2011 List derived from

List of overturned convictions from the Regional Crime Squad

Name Status Case date Appeal date Notes Vincent Hickey Conviction quashed 1978 1997 Bridgewater Four Michael Hickey Conviction quashed 1978 1997 Bridgewater Four Pat Molloy Conviction quashed 1978 1997 Bridgewater Four James Robinson Conviction quashed 1978 1997 Bridgewater Four

See also West Midlands Serious Crime Squad List of miscarriage of justice cases in the United Kingdom

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