Ipswich convicted killer’s campaign to clear his name steps up as MP meets minister

Ipswich MP Sandy Martin Picture: PARLIAMENT LIVE

Ipswich MP Sandy Martin and solicitor Glyn Maddocks travelled to Whitehall to raise the case of 49-year-old Oliver Campbell, who spent 11 years in prison over the killing of a shopkeeper in Hackney.

Despite Mr Campbell's conviction in 1991, Mr Martin told parliament earlier this year: "Oliver simply was not capable of carrying out such a crime."

During the meeting with parliamentary under-secretary for justice Wendy Morton on Tuesday, October 8, Mr Martin and Mr Maddocks said there were questions over the evidence used to convict Mr Campbell.

He said the case deserves a second look by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) and questioned why the body had rejected reopening the case before, despite the BBC documentary Rough Justice raising a series of questions about the conviction.

Mr Martin said it was a "productive and useful meeting" which was "an opportunity to bring the minister up to speed with the case - and also to have a conversation and hear about the role of the CCRC, which is at the heart of this".

He has also written a letter "being as forceful as I can be" to the CCRC asking them to relook at the case.

Mr Martin has argued that a confession to the murder by Mr Campbell should also not have been used as evidence, because of Mr Campbell's "limited mental capacity" from a brain injury he suffered as a baby.

During a parliamentary debate he also pointed to witness statements which described two short men at the crime scene, when Mr Campbell is 6ft 3in in height.

Mr Maddocks said in his opinion the conviction was a "disgrace" and added: "It's embarrassing for our criminal justice system that someone like Oliver could be convicted of doing something he's probably incapable of doing."

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) was approached for comment.