Latest news with #DNAevidence
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Jury hears Pat Stay's blood was found on Adam Drake's shoe
The jury in a murder trial learned Pat Stay's blood was found on Adam Drake's shoe. Forensic and DNA evidence took centre stage at a high-profile murder trial in Dartmouth, N.S., on Wednesday, where the jury was told Pat Stay's blood was found on Adam Drake's shoe. Drake is on trial for second-degree murder in Stay's death on Sept. 4, 2022. That witness was Walid Dabbour, a forensic DNA analyst who began virtual testimony on Tuesday. He told the jury the odds of the blood found on the bottom of Drake's shoe being someone other than Stay's are one-in-2.5-sextillion. Blood found on the outside toe area of the shoe belonged to two people, one of whom also had a very high probability of belonging to Stay, he said. It's not clear who the other person was. Det. Illya Nielsen, of the Halifax Regional Police, also took the stand Wednesday, telling the jury he did 50 footwear impressions in the Yacht Club Social, including 39 that were in blood or red staining. He said patterns were observed from the VIP area, where Drake was, to the front door and that others went through to a back hallway and exit. But the defence confirmed no footprints heading out back were from Drake, although a previous witness who was with him that night testified their group of four left the club through that back door. After questioning from Drake's lawyer Michael Lacy, Nielsen also confirmed he was not tasked with examining shoes that belonged to another person who was arrested after Stay was stabbed. The third Crown witness of the day testified Drake removed two photos of himself off Instagram soon after the attack. Jodie Burns is a relative of Stay's partner and met Drake through a dating app 10 years earlier. She sent in screenshots of his Instagram profile -- and of a Facebook comment -- to police. She testified that Drake commented, 'Can't wait to give u a big hug,' on a music video of Stay's about 18 weeks earlier, but no further context was provided to the jury. Court broke early for the day and jurors were told they would only be required to return on Monday, meaning there will be no testimony until then. Lawyers Adam Drake's defence lawyers Jennifer MacDonald and Michael Lacy are shown at the Nova Scotia Supreme Court. (Source: Callum Smith/CTV News Atlantic) For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Salford: New DNA evidence discovered in Baby Ava investigation
New DNA evidence has been found in the investigation to identify the remains of a baby girl that were found in a field near a Manchester Police (GMP) said a profile had been secured from testing a piece of fabric recovered from near Ashtons Field in the Little Hulton area of of the infant, who was given the name "Ava" by GMP, were found by a dog walker on 20 November 2024. The discovery caused an outpouring of grief in the community, with residents describing it as a "desperate situation".Det Ch Insp Charlotte Whalley said police were more determined than ever to find out about Ava's parents, and appealed to the little girl's mother: "You are not alone." Police said they were continuing to work closely with a range of experts to find out how baby Ava came to be left alone in the field, close to a bridge over the M61. Detectives said a botanist was helping to determine how long Ava may have been at the discovery an anthropologist, archaeologist, and specialists in dental and bone analysis are continuing to try to establish Ava's age and ethnicity. Det Ch Insp Whalley said: "I know how heart-breaking this case has been for the communities of Greater Manchester and beyond. "The support and compassion we've received has been unwavering, and we share the sadness felt for Ava as we continue our search for answers so that we can lay her to rest."We will never forget Baby Ava, and despite the challenges in the investigation, we're committed to uncovering the truth."GMP said it had received "hundreds of public tips" in the investigation, with information leading officers to speak with potential witnesses across the UK. While those leads have not yet helped identify Ava or better understand the circumstances of her death, GMP said they had "allowed us to safeguard several vulnerable individuals and ensure they receive the care and support they need".Anyone with any information about the case is urged to contact the force. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Times
22-05-2025
- Times
Sarah Myatt, who acted for Peter Sullivan to quash his murder conviction
Sarah Myatt, a solicitor-advocate at the law firm Switalskis, represented Peter Sullivan as the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction for murdering a woman in 1986. Sullivan, who is now 68, had spent 38 years in prison before being freed because of fresh DNA evidence in what is thought to be the UK's longest miscarriage of justice case. How long it has taken to clear Peter's name. While Peter remained positive, it has been a long battle despite clear concerns, which was frustrating. For me, moving from mental health law to criminal law has been fascinating and invaluable. It's shown me how fragile the human mind can be and deepened my commitment to fairness and justice — especially for those with mental health challenges or
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Ministers to prioritise compensation bid by man wrongly jailed for 38 years
The Government has pledged to prioritise any bid for compensation by a man who spent 38 years in prison after wrongly being convicted of murder. Speaking in Parliament, justice minister Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede said he would 'encourage' Peter Sullivan, 68, to seek a payout. The gross miscarriage of justice has again fuelled criticism of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which is already under fire over its handling of the case of Andrew Malkinson, who served 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit. Responding to warnings that the independent body which investigates potential miscarriages of justice was 'unravelling quickly', Lord Ponsonby said an interim chair had been identified with an announcement to be made 'imminently'. The previous chairwoman Helen Pitcher resigned in January over the controversy sparked by Mr Malkinson's case, claiming she had been scapegoated. Mr Sullivan, who to date has spent more of his life in prison than free, finally had his name cleared last week after decades protesting his innocence. Crucial DNA evidence was finally unearthed due to scientific advances last year, showing it was another unknown man who raped and murdered 21-year-old Diane Sindall in 1986. Victims of miscarriages of justice can apply to a government compensation scheme. Mr Malkinson was given a six-figure payment in February this year after delays left him struggling to survive financially and turning to food banks. Independent crossbencher Baroness Deech, a former chairwoman of the Bar Standards Board and a member of the Law Commission, said: 'Does it not add insult to injury that after a person has wasted the whole of their life in jail, that they don't get immediate compensation as soon as they are released?' Responding, Lord Ponsonby said: 'We would encourage Mr Sullivan to make an application to the miscarriages of justice application service, and we will prioritise his application because of the length of the prison sentence.' Tory peer Lord Garnier, who previously served as solicitor general, stressed the urgent need to appoint a chair of the CCRC 'not in the near future, but today'. He said: 'It's unravelling. It's unravelling quickly and there will be more Malkinsons, there will be more cases of that hideous nature, unless the Government really grabs hold of this thing and takes charge.' Lord Ponsonby said: 'The objective is to have an interim chair for 18 months to review the operations of the CCRC. 'What I can say is an individual has been identified and is going through the approvals process, so the announcement will be made imminently.'
The Sun
17-05-2025
- The Sun
From ‘Lady Killers' to man wrongly jailed for 17 YEARS over rape.. 9 errors that saw innocent victims put behind bars
AFTER the "Beast of Birkenhead" was acquitted earlier this week, we're taking a look back at some of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history. Earlier this week a man accused of beating a florist to death was cleared by DNA evidence, after nearly 40 years in prison. 10 Peter Sullivan, who was dubbed the "Beast of Birkenhead", was arrested and imprisoned for the 1986 murder of 21-year-old Dianne Sindall in Bebington, Merseyside. His conviction was quashed following a review at the Court of Appeal. Sullivan has spent 38 years in prison maintaining his innocence following his 1987 jail sentence - the longest miscarriage of justice in UK history. A new murder investigation has been launched to find Diane's killer. Diane had left her shift as a part-time barmaid at a pub in Bebington when her van ran out of petrol. On her way to a garage, she was beaten to death and sexually assaulted in a "frenzied attack". Her body was found partially clothed on August 2 in an alleyway. In the recent court hearing, Sullivan said: "I lost my liberty four decades ago over a crime I did not commit. "What happened to me was very wrong but does not detract that what happened ... was a heinous and most terrible loss of life. "The truth shall set you free." Sullivan's conviction was overturned after new tests ordered by the Criminal Cases Review showed that his DNA was not found on samples preserved at the time. The Crown Prosecution Service told the Court of Appeal that the new evidence was enough to cast "sufficient" doubt on the conviction. Though rare, wrongful convictions are not entirely unusual, with several notable examples in British legal history. Here are some of the most famous cases: Andrew Malkinson 10 Andrew Malkinson, 57, spent 17 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of raping a woman in Greater Manchester in 2003. A report found that he could have been exonerated almost a decade earlier. DNA evidence that eventually led to his conviction being overturned had been available since 2007, but the Criminal Cases Review Commission had ignored it. During Andrew's appeals in 2019 and 2018, the CCRC refused to order more forensic testing - the evidence that later proved Andrew's innocence. Instead, Appeal had to obtain the new evidence that led to Andrew being freed, as Andrew urged the CCRC team to resign. Andrew was released in 2020 for good behaviour and had his conviction quashed in 2023, nearly 20 years after he had first been convicted. As a result of Andrew's mistreatment, the government changed a rule that had meant prison living costs were deducted from compensation. Shirley and Lynette Banfield 10 Dubbed 'the lady killers', mother and daughter Shirley and Lynette Banfield were convicted of killing retired bookmaker Don Banfield (Shirley's husband and Lynette's father). Don was last seen in 2001, with his wife and daughter being convicted of his murder in 2012. Prosecutors believed the pair had been motivated by money as after completing the £179,000 sale of his home in May 2001 he was never seen again. However, during an appeal their lawyer argued that Don, a known gambler and womaniser, could have been among the 2000 people who disappear each year. Their acquittal came after the judge agreed that there was insufficient evidence of murder, with no body, no suggested mechanism of death, and no indication of a date he had been killed. Their conviction was quashed, and no retrial was ordered. Sam Hallam 10 Sam Hallam was imprisoned at 17, convicted of a murder he did not commit, and spent seven years in prison before finally being released. He was convicted of the murder of Essayas Kassahun, a 21-year-old trainee chef, in an East London street brawl he was not even present at in 2004. The attack was an act of revenge by the Hoxton Biker Boys against another group of youths. Witnesses just wanted someone to blame and Hallam became an easy target. After the police believed he had given a fake alibi, he was charged and held at Feltham young offender institution for a year. A month after losing his father to suicide, a new investigation by Thames Valley Police looked at information on Sam's phone - something Metropolitan police had never done. They found photos of Sam with family the day of the murder, as well as no evidence to suggest he had any contact with his co-defendants outside of one isolated incident. His conviction was finally quashed in 2012, but Sam still has not received compensation despite multiple appeals, amid his struggles to readapt to life outside of prison. Angela Cannings Angela Canning was one of several women who were wrongfully imprisoned following evidence given by Professor Meadow. She was given a life sentence in April 2002 after her two baby sons died, one in 1991 and another in 1999 which she attributed to cot death. Meadow had told the court that the chance of two cot deaths in one affluent family was one in 73 million. The paediatrician was later struck off by the General Medical Council over his misuse of statistics before being reinstated by a court appeal. An investigation found that there had been three cot deaths in the family - including her first born Gemma in 1989 - suggesting a genetic cause. She was released in December 2003 after the Court of Appeal overruled the conviction, and was later awarded an undisclosed "six figure" compensatory payment. Barry George In a still-unsolved case, BBC presenter Jill Dando was shot and killed on her doorstep in April 1999. Barry lived nearby in Fulham and had previously been in trouble with police after impersonating celebrities like Gary Glitter, and receiving a prison sentence for an attempted rape in 1983. He received a life sentence for Dando's murder in May 2001 and was sentenced to life. In 2007 his conviction was overturned after his legal team argued that his mental disabilities, which included several personality disorders, Asperger's Syndrome and ADHD, meant he wasn't capable of committing the crime. During a 2008 retrial, he was acquitted and released. Barry said in an ITV documentary: "I find it sad that they done what they've done to me and that they didn't have no sound evidence. "The truth of the real killer is somewhere out there." Stefan Kiszko Stefan's case has been called the worst miscarriage of justice in UK legal history after he spent 16 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit. He was arrested in 1975 for the murder of Lesley Molseed, a British schoolgirl who disappeared near Rochdale on October 5, 1975. Stefan wrote a confession to the crime which was the basis for his 1976 conviction with a life sentence, however, this confession was made without a lawyer present and was later retracted. His mother campaigned for his innocence and with the help of the human rights organisation Justice, brought the case back to court in 1992. Two years later Stefan was released thanks to a sample from Lesley's clothing that showed the man who raped and killed her had a sperm count and could father a child - which Kiszko could not as he had a hypogonadal diagnosis. Although evidence of Kiszko's zero sperm count had been collected after his arrest, this was never shown in court. After his release, police arrested Ronald Castree, a comic book dealer whose DNA matched the sample on Lesley's body - he was sentenced to life in prison in November 2007. Stefan sadly died within 12 months of his release, aged just 41. Donna Anthony Like Angela, Donna Anthony was convicted of the murder of her two young children, based largely on evidence given by Professor Meadow. Her children, 11-month-old Jordan and four-month-old Michael, had died within a year of each other in 1996 and 1997 respectively. In 1998 she was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment based on the argument that she had smothered her son to get sympathy from her estranged husband. After an unsuccessful appeal in 2000, Donna's case was referred to the CCRC following the overturning of Angela Canning's conviction. She was the third woman to have her conviction overturned after Meadow's testimony was discredited and she was released in April 2005. She received £226,000 in compensation and has spent the last few years trying to rebuild her life. Rebecca Leighton 10 Rebecca Leighton spent six weeks in prison after being blamed for fellow nurse Victorino Chua's killing spree. She was arrested in July 2011 after patients at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport, Manchester had been suffering unexpected hypoglycaemic attacks. While she was never convicted for the crimes, the six weeks Rebecca spent in prison had a significant impact. She told The Mirror: "It was such a horrific time. "I was wrongly caught up in it, chewed up and spat out." Chua was later found guilty of two murders and 31 charges relating to the poisoning of patients. Sally Clark 10 Sally Clark spent three years in prison after being convicted of killing her two infant sons at Chester Crown Court. Lawyers argued that she had smothered 11-week-old Christopher in 1996 and shook eight-week-old Harry to death in 1998, both of whom she argued were cot death victims. After being convicted in 1999, Sally's sentence was overturned in January 2003 following the revelation that the prosecutor's forensic pathologist had failed to disclose evidence that suggested her younger son had died of natural causes. The paediatrician Sir Roy Meadow also testified at Clark's trial with evidence that was used in all of the aforementioned cot death trials. As a result of her conviction being overturned, the Attorney General Lord Goldsmith ordered a review of hundreds of other cases, leading two other women to be released. Sally died in 2007 following years of mental turmoil after her imprisonment, with an inquest ruling that she died of acute alcohol intoxication. How do you get a conviction overturned? PETER Sullivan was able to get his conviction overturned after receiving help from the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). The CCRC is an independent body that investigates potential miscarriages of justice. They will examine a case and decide whether it reaches the threshold for a miscarriage of justice. If so, the case will be referred to the Court of Appeal - the only court that can overturn a conviction or sentence. It can order a retrial in cases where a judge has made an error. Any case sent for appeal must be heard by the courts but there is no guarantee the convictions will be quashed. For the CCRC to be able to refer a case, there would need to be new information that may have changed the outcome of the case if the jury had known about it.
