Simon Hall, 33, was convicted of the 2001 murder of Joan Albert. He has always maintained his innocence of this murder and has been fighting to prove this.
In 2009 Simon’s case was referred back to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission in light of fresh expert evidence. The CCRC is, of course, the independent body set up to review potential miscarriages of justice.
The Court of Appeal has today stated that the conviction was safe and dismissed the appeal.
Simon’s solicitor, Correna Platt of Stephensons Solicitors LLP said: “Simon and his family are devastated by the outcome of the hearing.
“His legal team are concerned by the approach taken by the Court in coming to this decision. It was agreed by all that this conviction rested entirely on expert evidence relating to fibre evidence and there is much other evidence that pointed away from Simon’s guilt.
“The prosecution evidence relating to fibres was unchallenged at trial and the appeal related to new evidence on fibres from an expert acknowledged to be credible using appropriate techniques not available at the time of trial.
“We believe that it would have been the right and proper outcome for the case, including this new evidence, to have been sent back to be considered by a jury, as the jury are the final arbiters of disputes of this kind and not the Court of Appeal.
“Simon has had tremendous support from many sources such as the CCRC, the Rough Justice production team at the BBC and the Innocence Project at Bristol University and especially from his wife and family. He is grateful to all those concerned and remains determined to fight to prove his innocence.“
We are reviewing the way forward in the light of the judgment but at this stage it is not proposed to make any further comment.
ENDS
Notes to editors
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Media information: Lianne Tracey
Stephensons Solicitors LLP
T: 01616 966 229