Mr DE
Mr DE was convicted in February 2001 of attempted buggery and indecent assault. Mr DE received a sentence of five years’ imprisonment.
The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction in January 2007.
The complainants were both aged 15 at the time of the alleged offences and were in foster care.
Mr DE was originally indicted along with six other individuals as part of an alleged “paedophile ring”.
Following review, the CCRC concluded that new information contained in one of the complainant’s social services records was capable of undermining their credibility to the extent that, had the jury known of it, they might not have convicted Mr DE.
Amongst other matters, these records indicated that the complainant had a history of dishonesty, had previously engaged in criminal activity, had refused a medical examination in the matter relating to Mr DE, and had made numerous requests for an advance of funds from the Criminal Injury Compensation Authority.
Some of this evidence suggested that the complainant’s answers under oath during cross-examination had been untruthful.
The CCRC referred the conviction in September 2010.
The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in January 2011.