Mark Braithwaite

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Winston Silcott, Engin Raghip and Mark Braithwaite were convicted of the murder of an officer sent to manage riots, PC Keith Blakelock. Silcott was interviewed 5 times over 24 hours and he eventually confessed (at the time he was on bail for another murder that he was later convicted of). Raghip also incriminated himself in the course of police interviews. Braithwaite had his name mentioned to detectives by another man who said he had seen Braithwaite stab Blakelock with a kitchen knife. The allegation was later withdrawn. He was taken to the station and held without access to a lawyer. Through mutliple interviews he began to incriminate himself. On appeal, evidence was presented to show that the notes in which Silcott incriminated himself had been inserted after the others were written, Raghip was highly suggestible and had the mental age of a 10 to 11 year old and all of the defendants had been interrogated for an excessive amount of time, the majority of which was without a solicitor. This evidence made the confessions unreliable and as a result the convictions were overturned. Raghip and Braithwaite were released. Silcott was returned to prison for his other conviction.

View Press (www.thejusticegap.com)

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