Arden, Paul

Paul Arden was convicted in April 2003 of conspiracy to murder and received a sentence of life imprisonment with a notional term of 24 years and a specified period of 12 years.

The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction in September 2008.

Following Mr Arden’s trial, one of his convicted co-defendants gave evidence at other trials that conflicted with the account given by the prosecution at Mr Arden’s trial.

The CCRC concluded that the prosecution’s case in two related trials following Mr Arden’s was so different from, and at odds with, the case against Mr Arden that there was a real possibility the Court of Appeal would find Mr Arden’s conviction unsafe.

The CCRC considered that had the different accounts been put before the jury at Mr Arden’s trial, the jury may have reached a different verdict.

The CCRC referred the conviction in January 2011.

The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction in March 2011.