Patrick Gaughan
Patrick Gaughan was convicted of aggravated burglary and kidnapping. Four men had entered a bungalow and in the course of failing to find money, they kidnapped the woman living there, threatened her with a shot gun and eventually left empty handed. Participating “supergrass” witnesses implicated Gaughan. There was also evidence against Gaughan from a police officer relating to admissions made during a car journey and a police interview. Gaughan denied having anything to do with the offences. He claimed he had been staying in a hotel in Aberdeen at the time. On appeal, evidence showed that police officers involved in the investigation had been discredited and that evidebce of “supergrass” witnesses was tainted by reason of close contact with officers who could no longer be regarded as credible. On this basis Gaughan’s appeal, and related appeals of other applicants, were allowed.
View Press (www.independent.co.uk)
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< Back to Case Search < Back to Overview Graph- Offence: Robbery / burglary
- Jurisdiction: England & Wales
- County: Leicestershire
- Ethnicity: White
- Gender: M
- Years in prison: 10
- Offence convicted of: Aggravated burglary; kidnapping
- Year of crime: 1979
- Year of initial conviction: 1983
- Year conviction was overturned: 2001
- Age when imprisoned: Unknown
- CCRC Referral: Y
- 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 relating to the reliability of witness testimony, Evidence undermining the reliability of a confession
- Compensation: Unknown
- Crown argued case at CofA: Yes
- Retrial: No
- Previous appeals: Sentence reduced to 10 years on appeal