Nealon, Victor

Victor Nealon pleaded not guilty to attempted rape but was convicted at Hereford Crown Court in January 1997 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of seven years.

He appealed against his conviction in January 1998, but the appeal was dismissed. The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction in July 2010. This was Mr Nealon’s third review.

Having reviewed the case, the CCRC decided to refer Mr Nealon’s conviction to the Court of Appeal because it considered that new scientific evidence raised a real possibility that the Court would quash the conviction.

New evidence established the presence of DNA from an unknown male on significant parts of the victim’s clothing. The DNA profile did not match Mr Nealon.

The victim’s partner and all male police officers, witnesses and scientists who were likely to have had contact with the victim or her clothing were eliminated as sources for the DNA.

The CCRC referred the conviction in July 2012.

The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in March 2014.