Anthony Steel

Years in prison:
20
Year of crime:
1977
Year conviction was overturned:
2003

Anthony Steele was convicted of the murder of Carol Wilkinson who was attacked, sexually assaulted, and killed on her way to work (at approximately 9am). Anthony was arrested 18 months after the murder after his mother in law went to the police with a fish key ring that had been identified as having belonged to the victim. Anthony could not remember where he had obtained the fish keyring, but on his forth police interview began making admissions about being present at the murder site despite having previously told officers he was at home with a colleage. During his fifth interview he made a written statement confessing to the murder. After his sixth interview he saw a solicitor and retracted his confession. Police conducted a further interview against Anthony’s solicitors instructions. On appeal, fresh psychological reports revealed that Anothony had an IQ of 65 and concluded that he was educationally retarded and abnormally suggestible. He was particularly vulnerable after 36 hours of interviews therefore the conviction was unsafe.

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  • Offence: Murder
  • Jurisdiction: England & Wales
  • County: West Yorkshire 
  • Ethnicity: White
  • Gender: M
  • Years in prison: 20
  • Offence convicted of: Murder
  • Year of crime: 1977
  • Year of initial conviction: 1979
  • Year conviction was overturned: 2003
  • Age when imprisoned: 22
  • CCRC Referral: Y
  • Tried with others: N
  • Link to full case: https://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Crim/2003/1640.html
  • Type of fresh evidence at appeal: Evidence undermining the reliability of a confession
  • Compensation: Yes
  • Link to compensation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Carol_Wilkinson
  • Crown argued case at CofA: No
  • Retrial: Unknown
  • Previous appeals: Application for leave to appeal dismissed in 1981.