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Friends and family of Sam Hallam campaigning at the Criminal Cases Review Commission in Birmingham on Wednesday |
‘Free Sam’ call as new evidence raises hopes of quashing murder conviction
Youngest of Maguire Seven backs campaign to release teenager jailed for killing refugee
A MAN who was wrongly imprisoned for four years has joined the campaign to free a teenager jailed for life for the murder of an Ethiopian refugee in Old Street.
Friends and family of 20-year-old Sam Hallam presented new evidence to the independent Criminal Cases Review Commission, which investigates suspected miscarriages of justice, in Birmingham on Wednesday.
Among the campaigners was Patrick Maguire, who as a 14-year-old was sent to prison on false allegations relating to the 1974 IRA bombing of a Guildford pub.
Mr Hallam, a kitchen fitter from the Arden estate in Hoxton, has been in prison since 2004 for the murder of Essayas Kassahun.
Mr Kassahun, 21, from St Luke’s estate in Finsbury, was attacked by a gang near the junction of Bath Street and Old Street when he went to the defence of his friend, Louis Colley.
Last year, the Tribune reported how hardman actor Ray Winstone had pledged his full support to Mr Hallam, a friend of his nephew Bobby.
Mr Winstone was unable to travel to Birmingham on Wednesday because he’s still working on the latest Indiana Jones film. But he rang his sister in the morning to wish the deputation good luck.
Documents with evidence from new witnesses who have come forward to say Mr Hallam was not at the scene of the killing were handed over to former investigative reporter David Jessell, who now works for the commission.
Mr Maguire, the youngest of the Maguire Seven, who were wrongly imprisoned alongside the Guildford Four over IRA bombings in Guildford and Woolwich, said there were lots of similarities between his experience and that of Mr Hallam.
“It’s clear as anything that this lad had nothing to do with it,” Mr Maguire said. “His biggest defence while in prison is knowing that he’s done no crime. I know he’s banged up but he can sleep at night.”
He said he had survived jail at such a young age thanks to help from supporters. Mr Maguire added: “It gave me strength. You’re allegedly being punished for a crime you have not done and the only comfort is you’re innocent. You still eat the same food and still share the same cell as guilty people. I found it very hard.
“It took us the best part of 30 years to get our names cleared. It won’t take as long for Sam. After our cases, they said that they would start reviewing the justice system. I don’t think they have because there are still cases like Sam’s.”
Mr Hallam’s mother, Wendy Cohen, said: “We’ve got no legal aid but everyone who’s been helping has been fantastic. Even the lawyers are doing it for free.
“I’ve always known Sam’s innocent. I don’t know how they found him guilty in court when two witnesses retracted their statements.”
Her son is studying English and maths in prison at Aylesbury, Bucks. “He’s being a strong little boy but at Christmas he was down,” she said.
“Everybody believes in the justice system. Until something like this happens to you, you don’t believe it can happen.”
Veteran campaigner Paul May, who has led successful miscarriage of justice campaigns for the Birmingham Six and the Bridgewater Four, is confident there is enough evidence to justify the case being sent back to the Court of Appeal.
“There are a mass of witnesses who we’re putting forward, people who were present on the night that Essayas Kassahun was murdered,” he said. “They know Sam and say he wasn’t there. These witnesses, all independent of each other, are saying the same thing.” |
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