Esat, Ozer
Ozer Esat was convicted in April 1998 of conspiracy to supply a controlled drug of Class A and received a sentence of 23 years’ imprisonment.
The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction in August 2002.
The central evidence against Mr Esat at trial was the presence of a single fingerprint matching Mr Esat found on a piece of Sellotape attached to a package of drugs that had been seized by police in April 1996.
During review, the CCRC obtained new evidence which cast significant doubt on this fingerprint evidence.
An expert report indicated that the tape which bore the fingerprint was found in a different place to where the prosecution had contended at trial.
There was little other substantial evidence against Mr Esat aside from the fingerprint.
The CCRC referred the conviction in March 2006.
The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction in December 2007.