Finlay, Paul

Paul Finlay was convicted in February 2002 of manslaughter and received a sentence of 30 months’ imprisonment.

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

In the case of R v Kennedy (2007), the House of Lords ruled that it was never appropriate to find a person guilty of manslaughter following the supply of a Class A drug to an individual who voluntarily self-administers that drug, resulting in their death.

Following this finding, the CCRC traced a number of individuals who had been convicted in these circumstances.

Mr Finlay had been convicted on the basis that he had prepared a syringe of heroin, ready for self-injection by the deceased.

Following review, the CCRC concluded that in accordance with R v Kennedy, Mr Finlay had been convicted for an act which was not, in law, a crime.

The CCRC referred the conviction in March 2009.

The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in July 2009.