Serrano, Raymond

Raymond Serrano was convicted at the Central Criminal Court on 26 June 1972 of murdering Ida Maureen Buchanan in Harlesden, London, in February 1972. He was jailed for life.

He admitted assaulting Mrs Buchanan during a row after a consensual sexual encounter but denied intending to kill her. Leave to appeal was refused by the Single Judge in March 1973 and then by the Full Court in May 1973.

The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction and sentence in May 2005.

During review, the CCRC found that whilst Mr Serrano had admitted to assaulting the victim, there was evidence of provocation.

Mr Serrano had denied having been provoked to lose his self-control and his defence team did not run the defence of provocation at trial. The trial judge therefore directed the jury that they should not consider provocation.

The CCRC concluded that based on the evidence, this had been a misdirection.

The CCRC referred the conviction and sentence in July 2006 on the basis that the judge had failed to leave provocation to the jury and that there was therefore a real possibility the Court of Appeal would quash the murder conviction and in its place substitute a conviction of manslaughter.

The Court of Appeal upheld the conviction and sentence in December 2006.