Guildford Four's Gerry Conlon dies

Gerry Conlon, who was wrongly convicted of the 1974 Guildford IRA pub bombing, has died aged 60 after an illness.

He was one of the Guildford Four, who spent 15 years in prison before their convictions were quashed in 1989.

Mr Conlon's family said his fight for justice had "forced the world's closed eyes to be opened to injustice".

His case was highlighted in the 1993 Oscar-nominated film In The Name Of The Father, starring Daniel Day-Lewis.

The Guildford Four were convicted amid the backdrop of an IRA bombing campaign targeting pubs in England.

High-profile attacks were carried out in Guildford, Woolwich and Birmingham in 1974.

Gerry Conlon, Paddy Armstrong, Paul Hill and Carole Richardson were jailed for life in 1975 for an attack on the Horse and Groom pub in Guildford which killed four soldiers and a civilian, as well as injuring scores more.

All those involved vigorously protested their innocence.

The Court of Appeal quashed their sentences in October 1989, amid doubts raised about the police evidence against them.

An investigation into the case by Avon and Somerset Police found serious flaws in the way Surrey Police handled the case - considered to be one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in Britain.

Read More: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-27955555

-- BBC 2014-06-22

And this case, plus the Maguire Seven, again underlines why capital punishment may not be the best idea.....

His Father died in prison, also an innocent man