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Wrongly Convicted Database Record
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Charge: |
Murder |
Sentence: |
Life Imprisonment |
Years Imprisoned: |
7 |
Year Crime: |
1969 |
Year Convicted: |
1969 |
Year Cleared: |
1976 |
U.S. State or Country of Crime: |
United Kingdom |
County or Region of Crime: |
Scotland |
City of Crime: |
Ayr |
Result: |
Pardoned |
Summary of Case: |
"Patrick Connolly Meehan was wrongly convicted of a murder in 1969 in Ayr, Scotland. After Meehan's conviction by a jury he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Publication of the 1976 book, A Presumption of Innocence by Ludovic Kennedy, created a groundswell of interest that the legal authorities could not ignore. Less than a year after its publication Meehan had been granted a "free pardon" by Queen Elizabeth and he was released after 6 years and 10 months of wrongful imprisonment. He was awarded a total of £52,500 in compensation. Patrick Meehan was the only person convicted of murder in Scotland pardoned by Queen Elizabeth in the 20th Century. It was the second pardon by Queen Elizabeth, who had first pardoned Maurice Swanson of bank robbery in 1975. Both Meehan and Swanson were represented by Scottish solicitor Joseph Beltrami." |
Conviction Caused By: |
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Innocence Proved By: |
"Granted a "free pardon" that automatically quashed his conviction." |
Defendant Aided By: |
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Compensation Awarded: |
"£52,500" |
Was Perpetrator Identified? |
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Age When Imprisoned: |
42 |
Age When Released: |
49 |
Sex: |
Male |
Skin/Ethnicity: |
White |
Information Source 1: |
"Thirty-Six Murders & Two Immoral Earnings, Ludovic Kennedy, Profile Books, 2002, pp. 100-156." |
Information Location 1: |
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Information Source 2: |
"A Presumption of Innocence: The Amazing Case of Patrick Meehan, Ludovic Kennedy, 1976." |
Information Location 2: |
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Information Source 3: |
"Scots legal legend Joe Beltrami dies at 83, By Dean Herbert (Staff writer), The Daily Express (London, England), February 24, 2015" |
Information Location 3: |
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/560285/Scotland-s-famous-criminal-defence-lawyers-Joe-Beltrami-has-died |
Information Source 4: |
"Patrick Meehan, Wikipedia.org (last visited 10-17-2010)" |
Information Location 4: |
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Meehan |
Information Source 5: |
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Information Location 5: |
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Book About Case: |
"Thirty-Six Murders & Two Immoral Earnings, Ludovic Kennedy, Profile Books, 2002, p. 100-156." |
Book Information: |
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Book About Case (2): |
"A Presumption of Innocence: The Amazing Case of Patrick Meehan, Ludovic Kennedy, 1976." |
Book Information (2): |
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Movie About Case: |
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Comments About Case: |
Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org