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UK: Bridgewater 4 win right to appeal after 18 year campaign

01 July 1996

Michael Howard, the Home Secretary, has decided to refer the convictions of the Bridgewater 4 - Michael and Vincent Hickey, Patrick Molloy and James Robinson - to the Court of Appeal under the Criminal Appeal Act 1968. The four men were convicted in 1979 of the murder of schoolboy, Carl Bridgewater. They had a previous appeal rejected in 1989 and Mr Howard's predecessor as Home Secretary, Kenneth Clarke, pronounced the convictions safe and satisfactory during 1993. The appeal follows an 18-year campaign by Michael Hickey's mother, Ann Whelan, and supporters to have the mens convictions overturned. Much of the evidence against the men derived from a statement made by one of the four, Patrick Molloy, who admitted that he was present when Carl was shot. Recently, language experts have thrown into question the integrity of his statement, which was taken after he was held illegally for 56 hours, without access to a lawyer. Molloy was given a reduced 12-year sentence after being found guilty of manslaughter. He died in prison in 1981. Since December the lawyer in charge of the prosecution of the Bridgewater 4, Michael Chance, has written several times to the Home Secretary expressing concern at the convictions and admitting that undisclosed fingerprint evidence was prejudicial to the defence. Two members of the jury, including the foreman, have pronounced that they are now convinced of the men's innocence. It is expected that Staffordshire police, who were responsible for the investigation, will come under close scrutiny and it is likely that they will face allegations of misconduct. Home Office press release 26.7.96.