Oliver Campbell's Murder Conviction Quashed

Oliver Campbell, a brain-damaged man jailed for life in 1991 for the murder of shopkeeper Baldev Hoondle in Hackney, London, has had his conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal. Campbell was convicted despite evidence that another man was named as the gunman and his confession was coerced by police. The Criminal Cases Review Commission referred his case to the court after fresh evidence suggested Campbell, who has severe mental disabilities, could not have been the killer. The Court of Appeal ruled the conviction 'unsafe,' noting that a jury, aware of the new evidence, might have reached a different verdict. Campbell, who had been living under strict conditions since his release on licence in 2002, expressed relief but highlighted his ongoing struggles with the criminal justice system.