For prisoners who are wrongly convicted it means a life of torture for them and their families and friends. Our aim is to bring public attention to the fact that Miscarriages of Justice are still very prevalent in our society and the group West Midlands Against Injustice (WMAI) continues to highlight unfairness of cases on a regular basis. It is our intention to be instrumental in bringing about changes in the law in the near future! Below are brief details of some of the campaigns we are fighting for:
Ricardo Morrison – police withhold forensic evidence
On 8 November 2008 Amy Leigh Barnes was brutally killed by person(s) unknown. She was engaged to Ricardo Morrison who was not at home on the morning of the attack. He returned later that morning and discovered her injured. Instead of making a thorough investigation the police focused their investigation on Ricardo accusing him of killing his fiancée. DNA evidence not belonging to Ricardo was found by two forensic officers at the crime scene and the police deliberately failed to produce this information. They purposely lied that his mother allowed the washing of his clothes to wash away blood, however they failed to state that they had found a member of the deceased’s family with blood on his clothes and they took him home to change. The police then covered up by saying that they took the clothes for exhibits purposes. They accused Ricardo of assaulting other women and hid information that proved his innocence.
Ricardo is wrongfully serving life imprisonment with a minimum of 24 years. His mother Melda, a former police officer, was instrumental in forming WMIA in 2010.
Jaslyn Smith – if you don’t convict at first, try again
Jaslyn Smith was wrongly convicted of rape against his partner at a retrial in April 1999. At the first trial in December 1998 a decision could not be made so the jury were discharged; at the second trial the jury were undecided but, following a judge’s direction Jaslyn was convicted. No evidence of rape was ever produced at either of the trials, no swabs, no medical reports.
Jaslyn was given an Automatic Life Sentence under the two-strikes ruling because of him having a spent conviction. His tariff was 3½ years; he is now into his 13th year because he has always maintained his innocence. He has suffered racism and harassment at the hands of the prison system and has had obstacles put in the way of him progressing through the system and to be transferred to a prison closer to his family and friends.
Lee Mockble –the wrong place at the wrong time
Lee Mockble was convicted in May 2009 of the murder of Christopher Priest, following a football match between Aston Villa and Birmingham City. Lee had not been to the match and was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. His car was attacked by a group of known hooligans and a glass thrown through the passenger window, resulting in the passenger’s head being split open. Police officers witnessed this and arrested the man but he was released without charge.
Lee initially drove away but and returned towards the football ground in search of medical and police assistance. The vehicle was again attacked by the same large group of men who had gathered in the road. Lee tried to get around the group; several independent witnesses this and saw the deceased slip and fell into the path of the car.
At the trial, prosecution witnesses were from the same group who initiated both attacks and toxicology reports found that the deceased was more than twice over the legal level for drink driving. In the smoking area outside Wolverhampton Crown Court the family and hooligan friends of the deceased were seen on a daily basis, as were members of the jury. The press has covered this case as a rival fan killed at a football match but Lee’s family and Christopher Priest were all Aston Villa fans. Thousands of people know that this is wrong and the family have received messages from far and wide from people in disbelief at the verdict.
Mohammed Arif – imprisoned for helping the victim
Mohammed Arif was wrongly convicted and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for the attempted murder of a man whose life he saved. In October 2007 an incident took place where Mohammed Arif and the victim were both innocently present. The victim who pressed charges against Mohammed was stabbed by a youth, who fled. Mohammed tried to help him, shouted for the ambulance to be called and got help; when the victim was taken by the ambulance to the hospital Mohammed made his way home.
The victim was not critical but had two stab wounds. When he was interviewed for the first time, he described a 20-year-old youth as responsible for the assault. In all, the complainant, who claimed he had known Mohammed Arif for over 30 years, made three statements: in the second he did not mention Mohammed Arif but in the third he named him alongside his two sons. The sons were later proven innocent but Mohammed was convicted and sent down even though at that time he was 44 years of age.
Free the innocent prisoners!
The prison population is so overcrowded and costs the taxpayer over £37,000 per year per prisoner, yet innocent people are being put behind bars. Many are lost in the system with no hope of being released simply because they refused to plead guilty for crimes they did not commit. They are told they will only be released if they complete courses to prove they are no longer a threat to the public, but how can these courses help when you are NOT guilty?
Lorna Gregory
For further information on all these cases and others go to http://westmidlandsagainstinjustice.webs.com/
