§ Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will inquire into the circumstances of the two cases of O'Connor and Barrett in Manchester, where in respect of both defendants identification was made by a number of police officers of a person subsequently proved to be in another place at the time to which identification related, in view of the fact that these defendants were charged with similar offences at different times and the incorrect evidence in respect of their identification was given by members of the same squad.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsI am asking the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester for a further report on the circumstances of both cases and, after I have considered this, I will write to my hon. Friend.
As my hon. Friend will be aware, the conviction of Mr. Michael Kevin O'Connor was quashed following my referral of his case to the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) under Section 17 of the Criminal Appeal Act 1968. The conviction of Mr. Norman Cleveland Hughes Barrett was quashed by the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) in July 1973 following police inquiries made after my predecessor had referred to the Greater Manchester police a petition from Mr. Barrett.