Peterkin, Basil

Basil Peterkin was convicted in April 1977 of conspiracy to steal and received a sentence of nine months’ imprisonment.

Mr Peterkin was one of 12 people who stood trial. All apart from one were employed by British Rail at the Bricklayers Arms’ Goods Depot in South London.

Mr Peterkin was accused of stealing by re-labelling parcels to direct them to alternative addresses, and then selling the goods that were inside.

The defendants all claimed that the items found in their possession had been planted, and that any admissions said to have been made by them had been fabricated by the police.

The case was led by DS Derek Ridgewell, a British Transport Police officer who was appointed to investigate the depot along with his colleagues DC Douglas Ellis and DC Alan Keeling.

These three officers later pleaded guilty to stealing from the same depot and were sentenced to seven, six and two years in prison respectively.

The three officers were said to have joined forces with a group of men to steal £364,000 worth of property from the depot.

The CCRC considered that these convictions undermined the credibility of the officers and the integrity of Mr Peterkin’s investigation and subsequent prosecution. The officers’ credibility was a central feature of the case against Mr Peterkin and his co-defendants.

The CCRC concluded that there was therefore a real possibility the Court of Appeal would find Mr Peterkin’s conviction unsafe.

The CCRC referred the conviction in July 2023.

The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in January 2024.