John McLoughlin
John McLoughin and two others were arrested following serious sex offences against a young boy. Witnesses were seen as unreliable and similar charges against co-accused were dropped on this basis. However, McLoughlin signed a confession and was convicted. On appeal, evidence showed he was educationally subnormal and suggestible. He was interviewed without the presence of a solicitor signed a confession written for him by someone else. He had therefore been incredibly vulnerable. Furthermore, the complainant had admitted that his allegations were not true. An inquiry revealed a number of statements suggesting McLoughlin’s innocence that had not been disclosed to the defence. As a result, the conviction was found to be unsafe, with Lord Justice Buxton stating that “it is clear that Mr McLoughlin is innocent of these charges.”
< Back to Case Search < Back to Overview Graph- Offence: Sexual offences
- Jurisdiction: England & Wales
- County: South Yorkshire
- Ethnicity: Unknown
- Gender: M
- Offence convicted of: Sexual Offences against a Young Boy
- Year of crime: Unknown
- Year of initial conviction: 1988
- Year conviction was overturned: 1998
- Age when imprisoned: 18
- CCRC Referral: N
- Tried with others: Y
- Link to full case: Not available
- Type of fresh evidence at appeal: Evidence undermining the reliability of a confession, Evidence relating to the reliability of complainant testimony
- Compensation: Unknown
- Crown argued case at CofA: Unknown
- Retrial: No
- Previous appeals: Unknown