Oliver Campbell arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice, London, for his appeal hearing (Picture: PA)
A brain-damaged man jailed for life in 1991 for the murder of a shopkeeper in east London said he can finally ‘start my life an innocent man’ after his conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal.
Now in his 50s, Oliver Campbell was 21 when he was convicted at the Old Bailey of murdering Baldev Hoondle in Hackney in July 1990.
He was released on licence in 2002.
His case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, in 2022, with barristers telling the court in February that ‘compelling’ new evidence proved Mr Campbell ‘cannot be’ the killer.
They also suggested that Mr Campbell, who suffered severe brain damage as a baby, was ‘badgered and bullied’ by police into giving a false confession.
In their ruling, Lord Justice Holroyde, sitting with Mr Justice Bourne and Mrs Justice Stacey, said they had ‘concluded that the convictions are unsafe’.
Following the judgment, Mr Campbell said: ‘The fight for justice is finally over after nearly 34 years.
‘I can start my life an innocent man.’
His supporters said: ‘We are all in tears. This is the best news.
‘Ollie’s life starts now.
‘He thanks his legal team, Michael, Rose and Glyn, and his supporters, and his foster mum Jean, and especially Teresa.’
Mr Campbell suffered severe brain damage as an eight-month-old baby and continues to struggle with memory, concentration and retaining information.
Oliver Campbell was handed a life sentence over the fatal shooting of Baldev Hoondle during a robbery at a supermarket in Hackney, east London, on July 22, 1990 (Picture: PA)
Latest London news
Thunder over London left people ‘worried the world was ending’
Plane crashes into east London field with man in hospital
Banksy fish shop owner reveals safety worries after newfound fame
To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro.co.uk’s London news hub.
His barrister, Michael Birnbaum KC, told the court earlier this year that there were ‘ample’ grounds to find Mr Campbell’s conviction unsafe, suggesting that he was ‘badgered and bullied’ by police into giving a false confession over his involvement.
Mr Birnbaum said that Mr Campbell’s learning disabilities meant he made admissions which were ‘simply absurd’, and ‘nonsense’, and contained a ‘litany of inconsistencies’ against the facts of the case.
The court heard that officers may have ‘deliberately lied’ to adduce confessions from Mr Campbell, who was interviewed 14 times but in some cases did not have a solicitor or appropriate adult present.
Forensic psychologist Professor Gisli Hannes Gudjonsson also told judges that there was a ‘high risk’ that Mr Campbell’s mental disabilities meant he gave a false confession as a form of ‘acquiescence’ during ‘relentless’ questioning.
Mr Birnbaum said Mr Campbell’s learning difficulties meant he was ‘out of his depth’ and ‘simply unable to do justice to himself’ when giving evidence.
Lord Justice Holroyde said: ‘A jury knowing of the fresh evidence would be considering the reliability of those confessions in a materially different context.
‘In those circumstances, we cannot say that the fresh evidence could not reasonably have affected the decision of the jury to convict.’
The senior judges declined to order a retrial.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.