Hussain, Abid

Abid Hussain was convicted in December 1978 of murder and received a sentence of life imprisonment.

The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction in July 1998.

Following investigation, the CCRC concluded that there was a real possibility the Court of Appeal would find that Mr Hussain’s interview records and confession statement (which formed the foundation of the case against him) should not have been admitted into evidence at trial.

Mr Hussain, who was aged 16 at the time of his interviews, was not informed of his right to legal advice and did not receive legal advice before or during his three interviews.

He was also not cautioned at the proper time and did not have the support of an appropriate adult.

Mr Hussain was also held for several hours in isolation and there was evidence he may have been feeling the effects of hunger and fatigue.

The CCRC considered that the lack of weight of other evidence was such that, had the interviews and statement not been admitted into evidence, there would have been no case to answer.

The CCRC referred the conviction in March 2003.

The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in January 2005.