Hill, Ronald

Ronald Hill was convicted in July 1994 at Birmingham Crown Court of murder and received a sentence of life imprisonment.

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

The CCRC’s review centred on the issue of provocation.

Mr Hill did not rely on provocation as a defence at trial but did give evidence consistent with his statements in police interview – that he had reacted to waking up and finding the victim making an unwanted sexual advance.

As a result, the judge directed the jury to consider whether Mr Hill might have been provoked to lose his self-control.

The trial took place before the House of Lords had ruled in the case of Morgan Smith (2001) that where provocation was raised as a defence to murder, the jury should be directed to consider whether there were any “personal characteristics” affecting the susceptibility of the defendant to react to provocative words or conduct.

As this did not happen, the CCRC concluded that there had been a misdirection.

The CCRC referred the conviction in May 2005.

The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction in February 2008.