Man with learning difficulties cleared of 1990 Hackney murder by Court of Appeal

Oliver Campbell arrives at the Royal Courts of Justice, London, for his appeal hearing. Campbell, who is now in his 50s, was handed a life sentence over the fatal shooting of Baldev Hoondle during a robbery at a supermarket in Hackney, east London, on July 22 1990. He had denied murder and conspiracy to rob but was convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey the following year. Campbell's case has been referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, after new evidence about his "vulnerability" was obtained. Picture date: Wednesday February 28, 2024. Credit: PA
Oliver Campbell, 54, outside the Court of Appeal hearing in London. Credit: PA

A man with learning difficulties who may have been manipulated by the police into giving a false confession to a murder decades ago has had his conviction quashed by the Court of Appeal.

Oliver Campbell, from Ipswich, was jailed for life in 1991 for shooting shopkeeper Baldev Hoondle in Hackney, London, the previous July.

On Wednesday three judges ruled that Mr Campbell’s conviction was “unsafe”.

Speaking after the result, Mr Campbell said: “The fight for justice is finally over after nearly 34 years.

“I can start my life an innocent man.”

His supporters said: “We are all in tears. This is the best news. Ollie’s life starts now."

Mr Campbell was 21 when he was jailed following a trial at the Old Bailey, having also been convicted of conspiracy to rob.

His case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) which investigates potential miscarriages of justice, in 2022, with barristers telling the court in February that “compelling” new evidence proved Mr Campbell could not be the killer.

In their ruling, Lord Justice Holroyde, sitting with Mr Justice Bourne and Mrs Justice Stacey, said they had “concluded that the convictions are unsafe”.

He said: “We accept that, considered in the light of the fresh evidence, the rulings might be different.”

He continued: “A jury knowing of the fresh evidence would be considering the reliability of those confessions in a materially different context.

“In those circumstances, we cannot say that the fresh evidence could not reasonably have affected the decision of the jury to convict.”

In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: "The murder of Baldev Singh Hoondle in July 1990 was fully investigated by detectives at the time with a range of evidence brought before a jury who convicted the defendant the following year.

"We are aware of today’s decision by the Court of Appeal in relation to Mr Campbell’s conviction. We await the full Judgement and will review these findings."We will continue to provide support to Mr Hoondle’s family."

The Royal Courts of Justice in London. Credit: Rob Farrow/Geograph

The 54-year-old was released in 2002 and began an appeal against his conviction.

Earlier this year, a hearing was told that Mr Campbell, who suffered brain damage as a baby, was "badgered and bullied" by police into giving a false confession over his involvement.

His barrister, Michael Birnbaum KC, told the court said that Mr Campbell’s learning disabilities meant he made admissions which were “simply absurd”, and “nonsense”, and contained a “litany of inconsistencies” against the facts of the case.

The court heard that officers may have “deliberately lied” to adduce confessions from Mr Campbell, who was interviewed 14 times but in some cases did not have a solicitor or appropriate adult present.

Vulnerable man 'may have been manipulated into false murder confession'

Giving evidence in London on 29 February, forensic psychologist Prof Gisli Hannes Gudjonsson said that there was a "high risk" that Mr Campbell’s mental disabilities meant he gave a false confession during "relentless" questioning.

Prof Gudjonsson carried out psychometric tests on Mr Campbell in the 1990s and again in 2021, telling the court that science has since developed to provide a greater understanding of how and why suspects can give false confessions even if they are innocent.

He said: "He was giving the police what he thought they wanted, believing that he might then get out or they may stop interrogating him.

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