Wrongly Convicted Database Record

 

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Ian Taylor

 

Charge:

Murder

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Years Imprisoned:

3

Year Crime:

2006

Year Convicted:

2008

Year Cleared:

2011

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

United Kingdom

County or Region of Crime:

Scotland

City of Crime:

Glasgow

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

"Ian Taylor was wrongly convicted in 2008 of murder in the death in October 2006 of Brian Sharp, 38, in Glasgow in 2006. Taylor's co-defendant Tracey Hastie pled guilty. During Taylor's jury trial the prosecution's key evidence against Taylor was the testimony of Hastie that Taylor assaulted Sharp with a hammer and a knife, and the testimony of three witnesses who gave hearsay testimony about comments Hastie made to them. Hastie implicated herself as an accomplice in the attack. After Taylor's conviction, both he and Hastie were sentenced to serve a minimum of 18 years in prison. Taylor appealed, arguing the trial judge misdirected the jury about the hearsay testimony. Ian Taylor's conviction was quashed on March 10, 2011 by Scotland's Court of Appeal based on the trial judges failure to properly instruct the jury about hearsay statements attributed to his co-defendant. Taylor was acquitted by a jury on August 17, 2011 after his retrial, and he was released from custody. During Taylor's retrial Hastie refused to provide any testimony, so her statement was read into the record. After Taylor's acquittal Hastie was found guilty of contempt of court for her refusal to provide testimony, and she was sentenced to 12 months in prison, which was added to her previous 18 year sentence."

Conviction Caused By:

Misdirection of the jury by the trial judge about hearsay evidence implicating Taylor in the crime.

Innocence Proved By:

"Ian Taylor's conviction was quashed on March 10, 2011 by Scotland's Court of Appeal based on the trial judges failure to properly instruct the jury about hearsay statements attributed to his co-defendant. Taylor was acquitted by a jury on August 17, 2011 after his retrial, and he was released from custody."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

35

Age When Released:

38

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"Ian Taylor cleared of hammer murder after retrial, By staff writers, BBC News, August 17, 2011"

Information Location 1:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-14561886

Information Source 2:

"Ian Taylor v. Her Majesty's Advocate, [2011] HCJAC 38 (Appeal Court, High Court Of Justiciary, 3-10-2011) (Quashing conviction and ordering retrial)"

Information Location 2:

https://www.scotcourts.gov.uk/opinions/2011HCJAC38.html

Information Source 3:

"More jail time for hammer murderer Tracey Hastie, By staff writers, BBC News, September 2, 2011"

Information Location 3:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-14765770

Information Source 4:

"Conviction quashed after judge's blunder over hammer killing, By staff writer, The Scotsman, April 15, 2011"

Information Location 4:

http://www.scotsman.com/news/conviction-quashed-after-judge-s-blunder-over-hammer-killing-1-1588319

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

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Innocents Database Created and Maintained by Hans Sherrer innocents@forejustice.org

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