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Kevin Cole case referred to the Court of Appeal

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) has referred the murder conviction of Kevin Cole back to the Court of Appeal in light of fresh evidence which could prove his innocence.

Kevin Cole, from Liverpool, is represented by Correna Platt, appeals partner at Stephensons Solicitors LLP. She said: “We can confirm that Kevin Cole’s case has been referred back to the Court of Appeal by the CCRC following submissions made by us on his behalf.”

Kevin Cole was tried at Preston Crown Court in March 1998. He was convicted of the murder of a man called John Dookie, and of wounding a man called James Handyside, with intent to do grievous bodily harm. He pleaded not guilty but was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment.

He was refused leave to appeal in 1999. Mr Cole’s current application to the Criminal Cases review Commission was made in February 2008.

In a press release announcing the referral, the Commission said it has decided to refer the conviction to the Court of Appeal because it considers that new evidence capable of undermining identification evidence heard at the trial raises the real possibility that the Court will quash the conviction.

Of the 1,000 applications for reviews considered by the CCRC each year only approximately 4% are ever referred to the Court of Appeal. No date has yet been set for the appeal to be heard.

ENDS

Notes to editors

  • Stephensons’ criminal appeals team deals with serious and complex crimes and has a national reputation for investigating and challenging miscarriages of justice. The team has succeeded in persuading the Criminal Cases Review Commission to refer more than 20 cases back to the Court of Appeal.
  • Stephensons has 29 partners and around 350 staff across a network of seven offices in Manchester, Wigan, Bolton, Leigh and St Helens.

Media information:  Lianne Tracey
                                   Stephensons Solicitors LLP
                                   T: 01616 966 229
                                   E: lct@stephensons.co.uk