John Brannan

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John Brannan and Bernard Murphy were convicted of murder after Murphy stabbed Michael Pollit outside a Manchester nightclub. John Brannan was found guilty on the basis of involvement in a joint enterprise. The defendants argued that Pollit had been killed in self-defence and that Pollit had a gun. Both Murphy and his sister gave evidence that Pollit had approached Murphy holding a gun pointed at him. Murphy said Pollitt pulled the trigger twice but the gun did not go off. Whether Pollitt had a gun was therefore a central issue in the case. On appeal, evidence was introduced from new witnesses who stated that Pollitt had a gun, and police documentation that was not disclosed to the defence recording information received suggesting Pollitt had a gun. The conviction was quashed on this basis, but this happened after Brannan had committed suicide in prison.

View Press (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)

View Press (innocent.org.uk)

View Press (innocent.org.uk)

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