On the 4th September 2013 Shahidul Ahmed was found guilty of the murder of Rachel Manning which occurred in 2002.
This case highlights how important it is to pursue and fight for miscarriages of justice because in 2002, Mr White, the boyfriend of Miss Manning had been found guilty of her murder and his friend Mr Hyatt convicted of assisting an offender.
It was only following a Rough Justice documentary and an appeal being lodged, that in 2008 their convictions were quashed and they were acquitted of the offences. Had it not been for the diligence of the Rough Justice programme two innocent men could still have been in custody and the person guilty of the crime at large in the community to commit further offences.
Unfortunately the documentary is no longer on air and it is felt that innocent people do need the voice that Rough Justice gave them. Miscarriages of justice not only affect innocent people convicted of criminal offences but also families of the victims and society as a whole.
Shahidul Ahmed had committed one serious sexual offence after the conviction of the two innocent men.
It is important that the voice of innocent people is still heard and we are committed to fighting miscarriages of Justice and making sure that it is heard.
By Correna Platt, criminal appeals solicitor
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