|
Wrongly Convicted Database Record
|
Charge: |
Murder and Robbery |
Sentence: |
Life Imprisonment |
Years Imprisoned: |
19 |
Year Crime: |
1981 |
Year Convicted: |
1981 |
Year Cleared: |
2000 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
United Kingdom |
County or Region of Crime: |
England |
City of Crime: |
Liverpool |
Result: |
Judicially Exonerated Released |
Summary of Case: |
"John Kamara aka Johnny Kamara was co-defendant of Raymond Gilbert. They were falsely convicted in 1981 of the murder and robbery of 23-year-old betting shop manager John Suffield in the Toxteth section of Liverpool, England in 1981. Kamara was sentenced to life imprisonment. In 1997 Kamara submitted an application to the Criminal Case Review Commission (CCRC) for review of his conviction as a miscarriage of justice. The CCRC's investigation discovered the police and prosecutors concealed 201 statements, including exculpatory witness statements. Kamara's case was referred by the CCRC on April 26, 1999 to the England and Wales Court of Appeal (Criminal Division). The Court of Appeals quashed Kamara's convictions on March 31, 2000, and he was released from prison. Gilbert's conviction was not quashed because he had confessed, pled guilty, and was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. Gilbert was released on parole in 2016. Suffield's father supported Kamara's release, but he opposed the quashing of Gilbert's conviction because he thought his confession had details only the killer would know." |
Conviction Caused By: |
|
Innocence Proved By: |
"Convictions quashed by England & Wales Court of Appeal on March 31, 2000." |
Defendant Aided By: |
"Criminal Case Review Commission (England, Wales, and Northern Ireland)" |
Compensation Awarded: |
|
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
|
Age When Imprisoned: |
24 |
Age When Released: |
44 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
White |
Information Source 1: |
Innocent UK website |
Information Location 1: |
http://www.innocent.org.uk/cases/ |
Information Source 2: |
"The Criminal Case Review Commission (UK), Annual Report 1999-2000, p 8" |
Information Location 2: |
|
Information Source 3: |
"John Kamara: "It was the anger that kept me going": John Kamara spent nearly 20 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit. He spoke to the ECHO about his long road to justice, By Max Clements, Liverpool Echo, October 20, 2019" |
Information Location 3: |
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/john-kamara-it-anger-kept-17103077 |
Information Source 4: |
"Toxteth bookie killer Raymond Gilbert has first taste of freedom, By Steve Graves, Liverpool Echo, February 26, 2013" |
Information Location 4: |
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/toxteth-bookie-killer-raymond-gilbert-3323437 |
Information Source 5: |
|
Information Location 5: |
|
Book About Case: |
|
Book Information: |
|
Book About Case (2): |
|
Book Information (2): |
|
Movie About Case: |
|
Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org