Paddy Armstrong

Years in prison:
14
Year of crime:
1974
Year conviction was overturned:
1989

Paul Hill, Gerry Conlon, Paddy Armstrong, and Carole Richardson (known as the Guildford Four) were convicted of murder for blowing up two pubs in Guildford. Conlon and Hill were identified as suspects as they were residents of Northern Ireland who had been in the area. The four all signed confessions under intense coercion from police. Police investigations showed that notes relating to interviews had been extensively edited and police guidelines had been breached. The Court found that the level of duplicity in the case meant that all police evidence was suspect and the case for the prosecution was unsafe.

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  • Offence: Murder
  • Jurisdiction: England & Wales
  • County: Surrey 
  • Ethnicity: White
  • Gender: M
  • Years in prison: 14
  • Offence convicted of: Murder
  • Year of crime: 1974
  • Year of initial conviction: 1975
  • Year conviction was overturned: 1989
  • Affirmative evidence of innocence: Y
  • Age when imprisoned: 25
  • CCRC Referral: N
  • Tried with others: Y
  • Link to full case: Not available
  • Type of fresh evidence at appeal: Evidence casting doubt on the integrity of police, Evidence undermining the reliability of a confession
  • Compensation: Yes
  • Link to compensation: https://innocent.org.uk/2016/04/29/the-guildford-four/
  • Crown argued case at CofA: No
  • Retrial: No
  • Previous appeals: Unsuccessful appeal in 1977