Diamond, Stewart

Stewart Diamond was convicted in January 1999 at Preston Crown Court of murder and received a sentence of life imprisonment.

The prosecution contended that Mr Diamond had murdered Christopher Hartley in Blackpool in December 1997.

Mr Diamond sought leave to appeal. His application was refused by the Single Judge in 2000 and a subsequent application was refused by the Full Court in 2003. Mr Diamond applied to the CCRC in March 2005.

During review, the CCRC obtained fresh expert evidence indicating that Mr Diamond had been subject to psychiatric vulnerabilities at the time he committed the offence and that this may have substantially impaired his responsibility for the commission of the offence.

In addition, there was fresh evidence that Mr Diamond’s mental illness played a significant role in his refusal to accept his involvement in the offence or countenance a diminished responsibility defence at the time of the trial, and in his insistence on entering a not guilty plea.

The CCRC concluded that there was therefore a real possibility that the Court of Appeal would substitute the murder conviction for one of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The CCRC referred the conviction in November 2006.

The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction in April 2008.