Haddon, Robert

Robert Haddon was convicted in January 1980 of murder and received a sentence of life imprisonment.

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

During investigation, the CCRC reviewed fresh expert psychiatric evidence that Mr Haddon was subject to psychological vulnerabilities that supported a defence of diminished responsibility.

This defence had not been run at trial.

These vulnerabilities were recognised at the time of the review by the International Classification of Diseases but had not been medically recognised at the time of trial.

The CCRC concluded that there was a real possibility the Court of Appeal would quash Mr Haddon’s conviction for murder and substitute it for a conviction of manslaughter.

The CCRC referred the conviction in August 2001.

The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in January 2003. Mr Haddon remained subject to life imprisonment for manslaughter.