Burton, Robert

Robert Burton was convicted in December 1994 of attempted robbery and received a sentence of six years’ imprisonment.

The CCRC inherited an application for review of the conviction from the Home Office in March 1997.

During review, the CCRC obtained new expert evidence which raised substantial doubt over the credibility of the evidence that had been provided at trial by undercover police officers involved in the case.

In addition, the jury at trial had been provided with a “transcript” prepared by an undercover officer of a recording made of a conversation between between him and Mr Burton during a car journey to the scene of the attempted robbery.

The CCRC considered that the jury ought not to have been provided with this transcript.

The CCRC referred the conviction in November 1999.

The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction in March 2002.