Historic conviction for criminal damage quashed on appeal

James Wood KC and Owen Greenhall (of Garden Court Chambers) instructed by Mike Schwarz of Hodge Jones and Allen and acting pro bono, successfully appealed the historic conviction of an animal rights activist for Criminal Damage. 

Chris Baillie was convicted almost 40 years ago of criminal damage, but having given evidence to the Undercover Police Inquiry of the role of an undercover police officer as the driver in the offence, Sir John Mitting (the UCPI Chair) concluded his conviction was inevitable unsafe. 

Today at Kingston Crown Court HH Judge Heptonstall granted an extension of 40 year in which to appeal, and quashed the conviction. James said “The evidence given to the Inquiry has already disclosed unsafe convictions as a result of the role of inadequately supervised undercover officers. As the work of the enquiry proceeds I hope further convictions will be found to be similarly unsafe. It is pleasing the court acted so promptly in this case to quash this historic miscarriage justice.”