Wrongly imprisoned Andrew Malkinson 'could have been freed a decade earlier', watchdog finds
18 July 2024, 13:38 | Updated: 18 July 2024, 14:06
An independent review has found Andrew Malkinson 'could have been freed a decade earlier' after key failings by the agency reviewing his case.
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The watchdog found a "catalogue of failures" linked to the wrongful conviction of Mr Malkinson, in what is considered one of the most prominent miscarriages of justice in recent times.
Mr Malkinson was accused of raping a woman in Greater Manchester in 2003, subsequently spending 17 years in prison for the crime.
The conviction was based solely on eyewitness evidence and came despite there being no DNA evidence linking him to the crime.
The miscarriage of justice say him wait 20 years to be exonerated by the Criminal Cases Review Commission after he was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of seven years.
Now, the review has found he was completely failed by those reviewing his case, with Mr Malkinson, 58. today pushing for urgent reform of the miscarriages system, as well as the resignation or sacking of current CCRC chairwoman, Helen Pitcher.
The CCRC “obstructed my fight for justice and cost me an extra decade wrongly imprisoned”, Mr Malkinson said following the findings.
Following the findings, Ms Pitcher apologised in a statement after she was unable to be interviewed for "personal reasons".
Andrew Malkinson was eventually proven innocent in after spending 17 years in jail for a rape he did not commit.
He has since said he is now broke and living in a tent as he awaits compensation.
Following his conviction, Mr Malkinson continued to plead his innocence right up until the summer of 2003, when his conviction was eventually quashed.
The report found that both the CCRC’s investigators and leaders failed to follow up on key evidence that could have proven Mr Malkinson's innocence right up until 2022.
Three years after he was jailed, new DNA techniques found key evidence from the victim’s clothing pointed to a different, unidentified man being linked to the crime.
Crucial DNA evidence in the case had also been available to test since 2007, however, no match was found on the police database at the time.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) admitted failing Mr Malkinson and offered an "unreserved apology" on Thursday.
Following the findings, Ms Pitcher said it was clear the "commission failed" him, adding: "For this, I am deeply sorry."
But Mr Malkinson branded the apology "too little, too late" as he questioned her sincerity and called on Justice Secretary Alex Chalk to bring in "new leadership" at the CCRC.
