Bashir, Cameron

Cameron Bashir was convicted in June 1999 at St Albans Crown Court of conspiracy to obtain property by deception and received a sentence of nine months’ imprisonment.

A Single Judge dismissed an appeal in December 1999.

The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction in December 2003. The CCRC’s review centred on the non-disclosure of information relating to a relationship between an investigating police officer and a key witness in the case.

At a public interest immunity hearing, the investigating officer gave evidence in which a Ms Fletcher was revealed as an informant.

However, the officer’s close relationship with Ms Fletcher and Ms Fletcher’s role as an informant was not disclosed to the defence.

In addition, subsequent to Mr Bashir’s trial the investigating officer was convicted of a major theft, the proceeds of which he laundered through and/or spent on Ms Fletcher.

He was also found in possession of property (expensive watches) said to have been obtained by Mr Bashir’s co-defendant Nazeem Khan through the use of forged credit cards and seized by the officer in the course of the investigation.

The CCRC considered that the prosecution case had depended to a material extent on the credibility of this investigating officer.

The CCRC referred the conviction in January 2005.

The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in November 2005.