One of three black men whose 1970s wrongful conviction was overturned told Sky News his father died believing he was guilty.
Cleveland Davidson was one of six men who came to prominence at the “Stockwell Six” when they were arrested on suspicion of robbing a policeman at South London Underground station in 1972.
They were tried at Old Bailey, where the case relied largely on the word of corrupt British Transport Police Officer Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell.
Mr Davidson, Paul Green, Courtney Harriot, Texo Johnson and Ronald De’Souza were all convicted while Everet Mullins was acquitted.
Mr. Davidson, Mr. Green and Mr. Harriot have now had their convictions overturned by the Court of Appeal, with a judge saying it was “very unfortunate” that it took so long.
Speaking in the Royal Courts of Justice, Mr Davidson told Sky News: “It is a justification that we were innocent at the time. We were just young men. We were in the party, me and my best friend Paul, and that’s what happened. We didn’t expect that at all.
“It was a total cut. We were totally sewn up. We were trapped for nothing.
“For 50 years it affected me and I know it affected Paul as well. I wasn’t the same anymore. My family didn’t believe me. No one believed me.”
He said his mother and father were no longer alive but that his father believed he was guilty of the theft until the day he died.
“Can you imagine the trauma I have been going through for 50 years? Who would want to go through such trauma for 50 years? It’s a long time.
“Not all police are bad,” he added. “We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time with a bad corrupt cop at the time.”
“I’m just overwhelmed that justice has finally played.”
The Criminal Affairs Review Commission could not find Mr.
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-07-06 11:18:00
