Quinn, Michael

On 24 October 1994 at Newcastle Crown Court Michael Quinn was convicted of murdering Alan Bryant during a robbery with another man at the Springwell Inn pub in Gateshead in June 1993. He received a sentence of life imprisonment.

The prosecution contended that Mr Quinn had stabbed Mr Bryant, who was a customer at the pub (and died several weeks later from the injury), when Mr Bryant tried to stop the till being taken.

Mr Quinn sought leave to appeal. His application was refused by the Single Judge in April 1996. He applied to the CCRC on 17 May 2001.

At the instigation of the CCRC, original forensic samples taken from bloodstains on a coat and the victim’s shirt were re-analysed and compared by the Forensic Science Service.

When compared with the national DNA database, the DNA extract from the bloodstain on the coat revealed a fully corroborated match with an individual unconnected with the investigation.

The tests also revealed that there was no trace of DNA from the victim found on the coat.

It had been part of the case for the prosecution that, despite his denial, Mr Quinn was wearing the coat at the time of the offence.

The CCRC referred the conviction in March 2005.

The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction in October 2006.