Philip English

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Charge:	Murder
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment
Years Imprisoned:	4
Year Crime:	1993
Year Convicted:	1994
Year Cleared:	1997
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	United Kingdom
County or Region of Crime:	England
City of Crime:	Gateshead
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	"Philip English was wrongly convicted in 1994 of murder in the stabbing death of police Sergeant Bill Forth on March 20, 1993 in Gateshead, England. English, who was 15 at the time, did not participate or even know that Sgt. Forth was being killed. At the time it occurred he was under arrest, in handcuffs, 100 yards away, and out of sight from where Sgt. Forth was killed. However, English testified during his trial that he did not know his companion, 25-year-old Paul Weddle, was armed and he never intended that Sgt Forth should suffer any serious harm. English was was convicted by a 10-2 majority of murder under England's infamous law of "joint enterprise." He was sentenced to life imprisonment. English was believed to be the youngest person in modern English history convicted of murdering a police officer. On July 17, 1997 English's conviction was quashed by the House of Lords. His retrial wasn't ordered and the 19-year-old English was released immediately from custody. His step-mother, Mandy English, said: "Thank God common sense has applied today." A well-known case of the use of the "joint enterprise" law was the conviction of Derek Bentley. Bentley was executed in 1953 after being convicted under the "joint enterprise" law of a murder committed by someone else. On July 30, 1998 the Court of Appeals posthumously quashed Derek Bentley's conviction. English's co-defendant Weddle was also convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. His conviction was not quashed."
Conviction Caused By:	"Improper application of the "joint enterprise" law."
Innocence Proved By:	"On July 17, 1997 English's conviction was quashed by the House of Lords."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	15
Age When Released:	19
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	""Court quashes teenage murder verdict," Patricia Wynn Davies (staff), The Independent, UK, July 18, 1997. "
Information Location 1:	http://web1.pipemedia.net/~sar/bentley/970717/869238789-a1807713.html
Information Source 2:	""Lords Rule on Murder Conviction," The Independent, UK, July 17, 1997."
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Information Source 3:	Innocent UK website
Information Location 3:	http://www.innocent.org.uk/cases/
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Philip English

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

4

Year Crime:

1993

Year Convicted:

1994

Year Cleared:

1997

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

United Kingdom

County or Region of Crime:

England

City of Crime:

Gateshead

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

"Improper application of the "joint enterprise" law."

Innocence Proved By:

"On July 17, 1997 English's conviction was quashed by the House of Lords."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

15

Age When Released:

19

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

""Court quashes teenage murder verdict," Patricia Wynn Davies (staff), The Independent, UK, July 18, 1997. "

Information Location 1:

http://web1.pipemedia.net/~sar/bentley/970717/869238789-a1807713.html

Information Source 2:

""Lords Rule on Murder Conviction," The Independent, UK, July 17, 1997."

Information Location 2:

Information Source 3:

Innocent UK website

Information Location 3:

http://www.innocent.org.uk/cases/

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case: