(in)justice is served by Alice Harrison and MU Evidence class of 2020

This podcast investigates the factors leading to the arrest, conviction, and subsequent release of the Birmingham Six. In November 1974, two pubs were bombed in Birmingham by the IRA, resulting in the death of 21 people and the injury of 162 others. A third bomb failed to detonate. Six men were arrested and convicted of 21 counts of murder. These men infamously became known as the ‘Birmingham Six’. Their conviction was based on fabricated evidence, incorrect scientific evidence and forced confessions. The men were also subject to alleged police brutality throughout their detention. After multiple attempts, the six were finally successful in their appeal in 1991. The Court found their convictions to be ‘unsatisfactory and unsafe’. Their convictions were overturned after 16 years imprisonment, and the case subsequently became one of the most famous miscarriages of justice from the 20th Century.

This case took place in Ireland in the 1970’s. It tells the story of a young woman named Una Lynskey, who was kidnapped and murdered, and three young men, Martin Conmey, Dick Donnelly and Martin (Marty) Kerrigan, who were targeted and victimised by the infamous murder squad. Despite compelling evidence that said otherwise, these three young men were targeted and admonished for a crime they did not commit. Martin, Dick, and Marty were accused of Una’s murder, and through the use of violent and arguably unconstitutional tactics, Martin Conmey was ultimately convicted and spent five years in prison.

This case took place in Monroeville, Alabama 1986, during a period where racial discrimination was prevalent. In this episode of Injustice is Served, we will discuss the injustice that Walter McMillian experienced when he was wrongfully convicted of murder and subsequently sentenced to death. We will explore exculpatory evidence that the prosecution illegally suppressed, leading to his sentencing. We will also discuss Walter’s journey with his lawyer Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, and how he managed to successfully ensure Walter was acquitted of all charges and released in 1993.

In 1882 the case of the Maamtasna Murders took place in rural Ireland which to this day still resonates with many. Maolra Seoighe (Myles Joyce) was found guilty of murders which took place between the borders of Mayo and Galway and was sentenced to death. The case was heard in English, however Seoighe only understood Irish. His solicitor did not understand nor speak Irish who was also meant to be a translator. There were also false statements given by some of the witnesses, as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland John Spencer had compensated three alleged eyewitnesses. The gross misrepresentation in the courts led Seoighe and others to be hung for a crime they did not commit. After almost 140 years, on 4 April 2018, Maolra Seoighe was posthumously pardoned by President Michael D Higgins.

Judith ‘Judy’ Ward was convicted of the 1972 M62 coach explosion in which 12 soldiers and their families were killed, as well as IRA bombings at Euston station and the National Defence College. Despite evidence that she was 150 miles away from the incident at the time it occurred, she was still charged with having planned and organised the explosion.

This podcast is about the murder of Philip Saunders in 1987. Three men were arrested and convicted on the basis of a confession by a mentally ill man and police misconduct. This is the tragic story of these three men who fought for over a decade to be released, who later became known as the Cardiff Newsagent Three.

This podcast is about Liam Holden, an Irishman who was sentenced to death by hanging in 1973 at the young age of 19. In this podcast we will be looking at the background of this case and how Holden had brought an application to review his conviction to the Criminal Cases Review Commission. He was released in 1989 after his death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment however his original terrorism conviction remained in place and active which stopped Holden from getting a regular and steady job. He appealed this in 2012 and the court dropped their opposition to this appeal and dropped the 1973 conviction.

In 1996 Sally Clark’s first son Christopher tragically died from cot death. The following year her second son, Harry, died from cot death or possibly from another illness. However, Home Office pathologist Dr. Williams claimed there was evidence that Harry had been abused. He then revised his finding the year before, that Christopher died from cot death, and said that his death was suspicious too and that he did not believe the boys had died naturally. Sally was convicted for the murder of her two sons in 1999, based on this evidence and the misrepresented statistical evidence on cot death from Professor Meadows. In 2003 Sally was acquitted after a truly harrowing experience for her and her husband, Steve Clark, who stood by her throughout the ordeal. Sally died in 2007 at her home from alcohol poisoning. This case represents one of the biggest miscarriages of justice to have ever occurred.

In this episode we will focus on the case of Lindy Chamberlain. This case related to an incident which took place in Australia in 1980 and revolved around the death of Azaria Chamberlain. Azaria’s mother Lindy was wrongly convicted of her murder due to a lack of evidence and the mishandling of evidence as the prosecution case was no more than circumstantial; a defence that depended solely on forensic evidence. This podcast will explore the life of Lindy Chamberlain and the effect this miscarriage of justice had on her. So, get ready because is (in)Justice is served.

In 1995, Tammy Marquardt was wrongfully convicted of killing her child. This conviction was overturned years later due to the lack of medical evidence. The relied-on evidence was supplied by the once undisputable pathologist, Dr Chares Smith, who, years later, was subject to intense scrutiny over his professional competence. In this podcast, we looked at the role that Dr Smith’s expert evidence of an unregulated field played in Tammy’s case.

This episode discusses the case of Frank Shortt who was an accountant and nightclub owner based in Donegal during the 1990’s. Embroiled in a conspiracy planned and executed by two members of the Garda Siochana, Shortt was arrested on charges of facilitating drug dealing at his nightclub which led to him being imprisoned for three years. His conviction accounts for one of Ireland’s most shocking miscarriages of justice where evidence was invented, and false testimonies were given to send an innocent man behind the bars.