Hutchings, Gary

Gary Hutchings was convicted in December 1992 of conspiracy to rob and received a sentence of 12 years’ imprisonment.

The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction in July 2004.

Mr Hutchings’ arrest and prosecution had involved officers from the Metropolitan Police Flying Squad based at Rigg Approach.

Following the trial, in the late 1990s, the Complaints Investigation Bureau of the Metropolitan Police conducted a major inquiry into allegations of corruption at Rigg Approach (Operation Spain).

Two officers admitted serious criminal offences and made allegations that many of their colleagues had engaged in similar behaviour.

As a result, 25 other officers were charged with criminal offences or suspended from duty pending investigation (“A officers”).

A further group of officers, whilst not proactive in the commission of offences, were subject to a “general taint” (“B officers”).

Following review, the CCRC concluded that A Officers had been central in the case against Mr Hutchings. This raised a real possibility the Court of Appeal would find Mr Hutchings’s conviction unsafe.

The CCRC referred the conviction in February 2011.

The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction in November 2011.