Gorman, William

William Gorman was convicted in December 1980 of murder, causing an explosion, possession of explosive substances, possession of firearms and ammunition, and belonging to a proscribed organisation. Mr Gorman received a sentence of life imprisonment.

The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction in April 1997.

After his arrest, Mr Gorman had been taken to Castlereagh Police Station and interviewed 11 times between 24 and 26 October 1979.

At the eighth interview, according to the testimony of police officers, he made a confession statement and named Patrick McKinney (whose case was also referred by the CCRC) as his accomplice.

Mr McKinney was then said to have also confessed at his seventh interview.

Both Messrs Gorman and McKinney alleged assault and misconduct whilst in custody which had forced their confessions. However, the judge found the police officers truthful and reliable witnesses.

The CCRC referred the convictions in August 1998 on the basis of new electrostatic detection apparatus (ESDA) evidence which revealed that there had been some re-writing of notes by the police officers who had interviewed the suspects, rebutting the officers’ claim that the notes were entirely contemporaneous.

If presented at trial, this evidence could have been used to significantly challenge the police officers’ evidence.

The convictions had rested heavily on the credibility of the interviewing officers’ narrative accounts of the police interviews but the ESDA evidence threw strong doubt upon the reliability of these accounts.

The Northern Ireland Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in October 1999.