Miscarriages of justice-Do they really happen.

[teenyweeny 10]

I have taken a keen interest in the jeremy bamber and the mark bridger case and noticed reading up on all events there seems to be a lot of circumstantial by the prosecution and a lot of holes in both cases..ive followed the bridger case from begginning and i dont believe everything put in the newspapers ive followed court tweets and joined a few groups.What does everyone else think. :)and is there room for error in any case.

 

---------- Post added 29-08-2013 at 21:24 ----------

 

Can full life tariffs be overturned and what is the deadline for appeal of a case.

Edited August 29, 2013 by teenyweeny

[Halibut 12]

Do miscarriages of justice really happen? Yes they really do.

[kidley 48]

If they didn't it would be a perfect system in every way, it isn't

[teenyweeny 10]

these 2 cases are very high profile,the mark bridger one is indeed a bit raw at the moment as it involves a young child,but i still have niggles about this case and wondered is there anyone out there that would question the prosecution evidence.Too many unanswered questions in my mind and things do not fit.

[Moosey 10]

In my years as a criminal defence lawyer I can say without doubt that I never saw one client sent down that I didn't believe deserved to be. Not one was in my view wrongly convicted and many admitted their crimes to me in the court cells after trial.

 

Saw many people I knew were guilty acquitted though.

 

Not saying mistakes don't happen. I'm not that blinkered. I just don't believe I saw any.

 

I will add that you shouldn't believe what is reported, tweeted or whatever else. The amount of information in a criminal trial is vast and a great deal isn't given out publicly.

 

 

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[tinfoilhat 11]

Guildford four, Birmingham six are the highest profile ones I can think of. Stefan something in matlock was released back in the 90s iirc. Different times though - no DNA back then and suspects were often at the whim of a group of very tired violent policemen.

[Ridgeway84 10]

The Bamber case has very strong advocates of both sides including Facebook pages. Blood Relations is the definitive book. Scott Lomax has written a book advocating his innocence. Having read the first but not the second it appears the case against Bamber is sound. I can't see anything strong enough to overturn the evidence. It would have meant his sister did it then spent her dying seconds framing him. I believe the judge overstepped the mark in summing up. I will read the Lomax book as its always interesting to read thorough counter arguments.

 

Murder at the Farm by Paul Foot is a brilliant demolition job of the case against the Bridgewater Four and contributed to their eventual release.

[Anna B 1,414]

Yes, mistakes happen.

 

I think a lot depends on the skill (or not) of the lawyer, and good one's cost an enormous amount of money, that not many people can afford.

 

I think it's another scandal just waiting to be highlighted.

 

I certainly wouldn't say 'if you're innocent you have nothing to worry about...'

Far from it in fact.

[Plain Talker 11]

Guildford four, Birmingham six are the highest profile ones I can think of. Stefan something in matlock was released back in the 90s iirc. Different times though - no DNA back then and suspects were often at the whim of a group of very tired violent policemen.

 

There was Stefan Kisko who was wrongly convicted for the murder of Lesley Molseed, after police withheld vital evidence. Ronald Castree was later convicted of the murder.

 

Steven Downing was wrongly convicted of the murder in Bakewell.

 

Historically, Timothy Evans was hanged for the murder of his baby daughter after his wife was murdered. John Christie was the main evidence-giver against him, in securing the conviction. Christie had murdered Evans' wife, and set him up for this murder. Christie was also convicted for the murder of five other women, whose bodies were found hidden in cupboards, under floorboards, and buried in the garden.

 

Derek Bentley was hanged in the fifties for the murder of a policeman, a murder which was actually committed by Chris Craig, whilst Bentley was in custody, Craig was too young to hang at 16, so Bentley was the "whipping Boy", despite having learning difficulties, having epilepsy, and the mental age of a nine year old.

 

Recently there were the judicial overturnings of a number of Murder convctions, after a pathologist was found to have given false evidence in the deaths of infants, where the mother was accused of killing their child.

[cgksheff 44]

Yes, mistakes happen.

 

I think a lot depends on the skill (or not) of the lawyer, and good one's cost an enormous amount of money, that not many people can afford.

 

I think it's another scandal just waiting to be highlighted.

 

I certainly wouldn't say 'if you're innocent you have nothing to worry about...'

Far from it in fact.

 

 

Please don't forget that not all successful appeals prove that folk were innocent of the charges.

[teenyweeny 10]

Maybe in time all discrepancies will come to light in the Mark Bridger case it is early days imo..But you can bet when all the controversary has died down certain things will come to the forefront.

[ronthenekred 10]

Maybe in time all discrepancies will come to light in the Mark Bridger case it is early days imo..But you can bet when all the controversary has died down certain things will come to the forefront.

 

I'm not sure what can come to the forefront..gory details? Personally not interested.

Innocent? possibly, but I very much doubt it. Or innocent but taking the rap for someone else (highly unlikely) that being the case though then he's just as guilty in my eyes.