Suzanne Holdsworth, the Hartlepool mother-of-two who was convicted in 2005 of the murder of two-year-old Kyle Fisher in a so-called shaken baby case, has today had her conviction quashed on appeal.
Her appeal solicitor, Campbell Malone, of Stephensons Solicitors LLP in Greater Manchester, said: “Although Suzanne Holdsworth was not present in Court today she is aware of the decision that the Court of Appeal have quashed her conviction for murder and ordered a retrial.
“She is of course both delighted and relieved at the outcome and is confident that when a jury hears all the evidence now available, her name will be totally cleared.
“The Court has indicated that she should be granted bail and subject to conditions being agreed and confirmed, she should be released later today.
“Beyond that, given there will be a retrial, further comment is not appropriate.”
Notes to editors:
- Campbell Malone heads the Appeal team in Stephensons’ special crime department, and has specialised as a criminal lawyer since 1969.
- The team has been built around Campbell's experience in dealing with serious and complex crime and a national reputation for investigating and challenging miscarriages of justice and has succeeded in persuading the Criminal Cases Review Commission to refer a significant number of cases back to the Court of Appeal.
- Campbell Malone is also the Chair of the Criminal Lawyers Appeal Association, a body he helped to set up and he is frequently asked to lecture on his experiences.
- The latest edition of Legal 500 ranks Stephensons as a top 50 UK law firm and the fifth largest legal practice in the North West.
- The company has 25 partners and more than 450 staff in five locations, including Manchester, Wigan, Bolton, Leigh and St Helens.
- In the year to April 2008, the total value of transactions the firm has completed exceeded £4.7billion.