Stockwell Six: Convictions of three black men from the 1970s overturned by the Court of Appeal | UK News

Three black men who were jailed for allegedly attempting to rob a corrupt police officer nearly 50 years ago have had their convictions overturned by the Court of Appeal.

Courtney Harriot, Paul Green and Cleveland Davidson, all aged 17 to 20 at the time, were arrested on the London Underground while traveling from Stockwell station in south London in February 1972.

The trio, now in their sixties, and three friends – who became known as the “Stockwell Six” – were tried at the Old Bailey, largely on the word of Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell, an officer of the British transport police.

The men were accused of attempting to rob Ridgewell, who was in civilian clothes and had previously served in the Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwean police force.

They all pleaded not guilty, but all but one were convicted and sent to jail or Borstal, despite telling jurors that police officers lied and subjected them to violence and threats.

Their convictions were referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Affairs Review Board on the grounds that there is “a real possibility that the Court of Appeal will now overturn these convictions”.

Today, the appeals court finally cleared the names of Mr. Harriot, Mr. Green and Mr. Davidson nearly five decades after their convictions.

Judge Sir Julian Flaux, sitting with Judge Linden and Judge Wall, said: “It is very unfortunate that it has taken almost 50 years to rectify the injustice suffered by these appellants.”