Frost, Michael

Michael Frost was convicted in October 1997 of murder and received a sentence of life imprisonment.

The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction in March 1999.

Mr Frost, then aged 17, had killed the 76-year-old victim.

There was strong evidence that the victim had abused a position of trust to make sexual advances towards Mr Frost.

Pre-trial, Mr Frost had been seen by a psychiatrist who ruled out diminished responsibility and the case was subsequently defended on the basis of Mr Frost’s lack of intent to kill.

During review, the CCRC obtained new expert psychiatric evidence indicating that at the time of the offence, Mr Frost had been suffering from psychological vulnerabilities related to the unwanted advances.

The psychiatrists found that these vulnerabilities would have substantially impaired Mr Frost’s perceptions, his emotional responses, his ability to form a rational judgment, and his ability to exercise control over his impulses.

Mr Frost had therefore been subject to diminished responsibility at the time of the offence.

The CCRC referred the conviction in December 2001.

The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in March 2003 and substituted it for a conviction for manslaughter.