Wrong man is in prison, says murder victim family

The family of a man stabbed to death 20 years ago have said the "wrong man is in prison" for his murder as calls are made for the conviction to be overturned.

Jason Moore was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years in 2013 after being found guilty of murdering 42-year-old Robert Darby in Ilford, east London, in August 2005.

Moore had denied murder and his family say new evidence has come to light, which could prove his innocence. Their calls for his conviction to be overturned have been supported by Mr Darby's family.

The Criminal Case Review Commission (CRRC) said: "We have received an application in relation to this case and a review is under way."

The commission added: "It would be inappropriate for us to discuss the application or make any further comment at this stage."

Moore's sister Kirstie Moore said she gave the Criminal Case Review Commission (CRRC) new evidence 14 months ago which she believes could prove her brother is innocent, but said she was still waiting for a response.

Ms Moore claims a key witness, who originally said they saw the murder, now says they did not.

She hopes the new information submitted formally in 2023 could lead to the whole case being referred back to the Court of Appeal.

On Monday, Mr Darby's family wrote an open letter to the CCRC, the Prime Minister and the Justice Secretary and said: "This conviction is an insult to reason and fairness, and every day the Criminal Cases Review Commission delays action deepens this failure.

"Jason Moore continues to suffer in prison for Robert's death - a crime someone else committed."

The letter, written on behalf of the family by Mr Darby's brother Tim, added: "The CCRC has already failed once, and this cannot happen again.

"Recent cases have exposed serious flaws in the system, and Jason Moore cannot be another victim of its failures."

Last week the chair of the CCRC, Helen Pitcher, resigned.

If followed criticism regarding the agency's failings in relation to the Andrew Malkinson case, which saw him spend 17 years in jail for a rape he did not commit.

The resignation has been seen by some as an opportunity for an improvement in the way miscarriages of justice are handled by the commission.

Glyn Maddocks KC, who specialises in representing victims of miscarriage of justice, said the departure of the chair of the organisation was a "marvellous opportunity" to change a "failing organisation".

He told the BBC that the commission had suffered from budget cuts and needed a "reboot".

"When clients phone me and say what are my chances of overturning a conviction? I say it's easier to climb Everest," he said.

Commenting on Moore's family's appeal to have his conviction quashed, Mr Maddocks said: "I'd like to think they should be optimistic."

Ms Moore said she hoped following Ms Pitcher's resignation "someone comes in that serves the people, doesn't hide behind its mistakes and gets on with fixing what the previous courts have done to innocent people".

She said her brother's imprisonment for the last 12 years had been very difficult for the family.

"My mum has just been in such a terrible state," she said.

"As you get older it becomes very difficult to keep pulling yourself out of that state."

Moore's uncle, Tom Shaw, said: "Helen Pitcher has been like a dam holding up the information going forward.

"We're hoping that someone will come in and carry out a root and branch overhaul of the whole situation and get them fit for purpose."

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