Man jailed for murder cleared over suspect police confession

News in pictures
News in pictures
On Facebook
From the blogs

CC kills more people than cervical cancer; why haven’t we heard about it?

There is a disease whose incidence is rising in the UK and most of the industrialised world. However...

We need to avoid another ‘lost generation’

A tiny green shoot one day, and then a chill wind the next. Anyone hoping for signs of economic spr...

More than half of Afghanistan’s families live in extreme poverty

Leila is watching her baby intently, as his mouth moves trying to swallow the small blob of yellow p...

Time for a new approach to alcohol

Ambulances were called and three drunk teenagers were brought to my care. One was so drunk we had to...

A man who served 14 years of a life sentence for murder has had his conviction quashed after evidence revealed that his confession to police had been obtained during three days of questioning without a solicitor present. The overturned conviction is the latest miscarriage of justice involving interview evidence obtained by officers from Nottinghamshire Police during the Eighties.

The Court of Appeal yesterday declared the murder conviction of Patrick Nolan "unsafe". Mr Nolan, who was 19 at the time, was found guilty of bludgeoning 64-year-old Eric Carver to death while he slept at his home in Lenton, Nottingham, in December 1980.

The conviction in 1982 was based on Mr Nolan's confession to police, which he retracted shortly after making it, and has always protested was made under duress. There was no forensic evidence, no description, no murder weapon and no conclusive motive. At the trial, Mr Nolan claimed he was beaten by an officer during his questioning.

Lord Justice Tuckey - sitting yesterday at the Court of Appeal in London with Mr Justice Holman and Mr Justice Hodge - told the court: "The proof of murder depended entirely on the confession of a 19-year-old, illiterate man, made in the course of 11 hours of interviews, over three days, without a solicitor present."

The judge said the court had read evidence from two psychologists, who concluded that Mr Nolan had a "compliant" personality at the time. They singled out a range of disquieting aspects, including Mr Nolan's references to remembering the crime as if it were a "dream". In all, 6,000 people were questioned over Mr Carver's death, the court heard, with two others also making "confessions".

"Judged by modern standards in the light of this new evidence, we have no hesitation in declaring this conviction unsafe," ruled Lord Justice Tuckey.

Mr Nolan, now 44, has already been released on licence. He is reportedly seeking compensation of £1.5m. His case was referred to the Appeal Court by the Criminal Cases Review Commission - the body that investigates suspected miscarriages of justice.

At least two other convictions involving confessions obtained by the Nottinghamshire force have been quashed because of suspect questioning.

Career Services

Day In a Page

How an abortion divided America

How an abortion divided America

Single mother who took a pill to end her pregnancy is now fighting a landmark prosecution in a conservative state
Can you master a language in a weekend?

Can you master a language in a weekend?

Ed Cooke insists he can use his techniques as a memory expert to help novices learn even the hardest tongues.
The 10 best heaters

The 10 best heaters

From the DeLonghi Retro Fan Heater to the Dimplex MicroFire
Coming soon to a shelf near you: The publishing industry has gone mad for film-style trailers

Coming soon to a shelf near you

The publishing industry has gone mad for film-style trailers
Mad, bad and delightful to know: How Lord Byron became a cultural superstar

How Lord Byron became a cultural superstar

As the poet takes centre stage in the West End, Boyd Tonkin looks into the life of the outspoken champion of the poor
Did they all live happily ever after? That's up to you...

Did they all live happily ever after? That's up to you...

New digital novel will overturn centuries of literary tradition by allowing readers to choose how they would like story to end
How to look good for less – Primark in copycat row

How to look good for less – Primark in copycat row

With London Fashion Week starting tomorrow, designers are closeted in studios putting finishing touches to their collections
James Lawton: Arsène and Arsenal are living in the past

James Lawton

Arsène and Arsenal are living in the past
How Docherty's resurgent Reds beat Dutch greats

How Docherty's resurgent Reds beat Dutch greats

United have met Ajax only once before in Europe, in 1976. The key performers recall an electric occasion
Civil war at Ajax

Civil war at Ajax

A rift between two club legends has torn the Dutch giants apart
Lewis Moody: For an idea of where England are headed, look at Wales now

Lewis Moody column

For an idea of where England are headed, look at Wales now
Geoff Toovey: Little gem with huge incentive to become king of the world

Geoff Toovey interview

Little gem with huge incentive to become king of the world
Picture preview: Portrait of London

Portrait of London

Picture preview
No secularism please, we're British

No secularism please, we're British

Arguments about the role of religion in national life have recently acquired a new urgency
Harold Tillman: 'Chinese tourists can save the high street – if we let them'

Harold Tillman interview

'Chinese tourists can save the high street – if we let them'