Free at Last

THE M25 Three, Raphael Rowe, Michael Davis and Randolph Johnson, wrongly jailed for life in 1990 for murder and armed robberies, have had their convictions quashed at the Court of Appeal.

The three men have always protested their innocence. The European Court of Human Rights had ruled unanimously that their trial had been unfair.

Valerie Davis, Michael’s sister, has fought long and hard for the M25’s release. She told us: “I am absolutely relieved. The judges have found that the police acted corruptly.”

They quashed the conviction because the defence were not told that prosecution witness Norman Duncan had received £10,000 reward money. The judge and jury at the first trial were not privy to this information. Duncan gave different accounts of his role.

Yet Lord Justice Mantell’s judgement actually said that the judgement had not proved the M25 Three innocent!

Barrister Alan Masters: (who was at the trial ten years ago) commented: “That is illogical. Both the court in Europe and this court found that the trial was unfair. There is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty in British law.”

The court found that collusion took place between the police and Norman Duncan. The judges spoke of a conspiracy to give perjured evidence.