Pope, William

William Pope was convicted in June 1991 of conspiracy to supply drugs, supplying a controlled drug, possession of a controlled drug, and possession of a firearm.

Mr Pope received a sentence of seven years’ imprisonment.

The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction in February 2002.

Subsequent to the trial, two police officers involved in Mr Pope’s case were discredited as witnesses of truth.

One officer had been convicted of perverting the course of justice and conspiracy to supply controlled drugs, while another had also been convicted of perverting the course of justice.

At trial, the prosecution had relied on the jury’s acceptance of accounts given by these police officers of the circumstances of Mr Pope’s arrest, items found in a search of his flat, and alleged admissions made by Mr Pope to these officers.

Mr Pope had contested this evidence in its entirety.

The CCRC considered that the police officers’ credibility – and the credibility of the evidence they had provided at trial – had been undermined.

The CCRC referred the conviction in June 2003.

The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in October 2004.