Shiels, Terence

Terence Shiels was convicted in June 1979 of possession of a firearm and membership of a proscribed organisation. Mr Shiels received a total sentence of three years’ imprisonment suspended for three years.

The CCRC received an application for review of the conviction in March 2003.

Following review, the CCRC concluded that there had been breaches of modern standards of fairness in the investigation of the case.

The manner in which Mr Shiels was detained and interviewed involved significant breaches of the Judges’ Rules and other protections which Mr Shiels, aged 16 at the time of his arrest, should have enjoyed.

This included a failure to provide access to legal advice or an appropriate adult.

The CCRC considered that in consequence of these breaches, admissions to guilt made by Mr Shiels were unreliable and/or inadmissible.

The CCRC referred the conviction in September 2008.

The Northern Ireland Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in May 2009.