Could this be the answer to what really happened to Jodi Jones? And could it prove, after almost two decades, that Luke Mitchell had no involvement in his girlfriend's murder? Bolton established an Innocence Project in New Orleans before returning to the UK and founding the Centre for Criminal Appeals which investigates wrongful convictions. The law is, strictly speaking, unconcerned with guilt or innocence. Its concern is conviction or acquittal.’ After reading the charges, the judges began to call witnesses to the stand. The first witnesses gave contextual evidence—the historical, social, political, economic, and cultural situation of Chad before and during the Habré regime. These witnesses also outlined the psychological profile of the defendant and described his political career from his first struggles to his fall in December 1990. The EAC judges also called expert witnesses to the stand. These mainly comprised forensic pathologists, ballistics experts, statisticians, and legal experts. The EAC judges then began to hear from direct and indirect victims. These witnesses gave testimony about the specific crimes they experienced or witnessed. When Paddy Hill was freed, he established the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation (MOJO) to help the plight of others wrongly imprisoned.

I note you fail to mention that Mr Middleton set up an organisation to help other wrongly accused people, www.wronglyaccusedperson.org.uk and has devoted himself to that organisation since being acquitted. I was honoured to be asked to join that organisation, and am proud to be part of it. I do feel incredibly angry that Billy Middleton feels that he has the right to publish on the internet whatever he wants without fear of retribution.

Briefings

Why the hell can’t we make sure that we get it right the first time.’ Bob Woffinden. Pic: Mike White I’ve practised in the United States, without a CCRC,’ says lawyer Emily Bolton, ‘and I think you have to be very bloody careful about who you criticise here, because the CCRC is a frigging miracle.’ He himself describes the charge as "sexual abuse". I'm unclear why. As far as I know the charges were of sexual assault. To my mind sexual abuse indicates a more long term situation. A freudian slip, perhaps?. Maybe this was closer to the truth of what was happening in Billy and Kareen's relationship. Much of what you post here is the same sensationalist media garbage that plays such a huge part in convicting innocent people. But the system’s already undermined – the fact these people went to jail undermined the system – get a grip.’

The CCRC was a world first – an official body looking at miscarriages of justice – and since 1997 it’s received more than 21,000 applications from people asking for their cases or sentences to be reviewed. It has referred 625 of them to the Court of Appeal, and 410 convictions have been overturned.

In this issue

The justice system’s reluctance to consider mistakes might have been made by police, lawyers, judges and juries, was ludicrous. I think of the criminal justice system as a dreary casino where the quest for justice is a roll of the die that comes up craps as often as not.’

Woffinden has been involved with wrongful conviction cases for more than 30 years and says having a CCRC simply institutionalised miscarriages of justice. Anything has got to be better than having a government department doing it.’ Louise Shorter – pic from recent BBC seres Conviction: Murder at the Station

'Bullied' by PCs in toilet

As a result, Luke Mitchell, who was 15 at the time, was charged with Jodi’s murder, before being convicted and sentenced in 2005.