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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs |
Sentence: |
1 year driver's license suspension |
Years Imprisoned: |
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Year Crime: |
2016 |
Year Convicted: |
2016 |
Year Cleared: |
2017 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
United Kingdom |
County or Region of Crime: |
England |
City of Crime: |
Skutterskelfe |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated |
Summary of Case: |
"Billal Hartford was wrongly convicted in December 2016 of driving while under the influence of cannabis. Hartford, 20, lived in Skutterskelfe, North Yorkshire, England. Hartford's prosecution was based on him being stopped while driving in August 2016. Hartford's car had been stopped because the police had received a report that a car matching the description of Hartford's car had been driving erratically. An officer said he could smell cannabis and Hartford admitted he had some in his car. Hartford provided a saliva swab at the scene where he was stopped, and after being arrested and taken to the police station for marijuana possession, he provided a blood sample. The saliva and blood samples were submitted for laboratory analysis, and they came back positive for cannibis. Hartford was charged with both marijuana possession and driving under the influence of a drug. Hartford's defense against the driving while drugged charges was he hadn't been smoking cannabis. After his conviction of the drug driving charge in the Teesside Crown Court Hartford sentence was a one year driving ban (The U.S. equivalent is suspension of a driver's license.). Hartford was also convicted of marijuana possession and fined. Hartford lost his job because of his inability to drive. After his conviction Hartford saw news reports that detailed allegations forensic results were manipulated at Randox Testing Services (RTS). RTS was a private laboratory used by police forces across the UK for substance testing. Hartford contacted police to find out if his swab sample had been tested by RTS. When he found it had, his sample was retested and came back negative for the presence of cannabis. Based on the new evidence he had not been driving under the influence of cannabis, Hartford's petition to quash his drug driving conviction was granted in June 2017, and his driving privileges were restored. In December 2017 filed a lawsuit against Randox Testing Services. In November 2017 police agencies in the UK suspended all contracts with RTS after two scientists were arrested on suspicion of tampering with data. It is believed that 484 drug test cases handled by the two analysts in the Manchester Office of RTS since November 2015 may have been affected. RTS was cooperating in a wider probe of more than 10,000 cases in which the company analyzed drug evidence, most of which involved driving stops. RTS is based in Northern Ireland. It told reporters the investigation centers on the "manipulation of quality control data, which supports test results."" |
Conviction Caused By: |
Manipulation of Hartford's drug test by RTS. |
Innocence Proved By: |
"Based on the new evidence he had not been driving under the influence of cannabis, Hartford's petition to quash his drug driving conviction was granted in June 2017, and his driving privileges were restored." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
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Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
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Age When Released: |
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Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
White |
Information Source 1: |
"Man has wrongful drug-driving conviction overturned after losing his job, By David Huntley (Multi-Media Journalist), Gazette Live, December 11, 2017" |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/man-wrongful-drug-driving-conviction-14025113 |
Information Source 2: |
"Drug-drive' chef sues forensic firm over conviction, By Staff, BBC News, December 12, 2017" |
Information Location 2: |
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-42328374 |
Information Source 3: |
"Randox forensics inquiry: Police suspend drug-test contracts, By Staff, BBC News, November 27, 2017" |
Information Location 3: |
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-42144231 |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org