Two framed by corrupt BTP officer Det Sgt Derek Ridgewell cleared

Following the allegations made by a corrupt police officer, two men who were incorrectly sentenced in a separate trial in the 1970s cleared their names by the Court of Appeal.

Errol Campbell, who died in 2004, was imprisoned for 18 months to theft and conspiracy, while Ronald de Souza, a part of the group known as Stockwell Six, was detained for six months for the robbery attempt.

Both were convicted based on the evidence given by Det SGT Derek Ridgewell, a British transport police (BTP) officer, responsible for the abortions of racist justice. So far, all of the 13 cases referred to have been overthrown.

Lord Justice Holroyde said this is with “regret” The court could not get back his pain.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) carried out a series of investigations into the abuse of Ridgewell, which produced evidence that led to prisoners long after his death. In 1982 in prison.

CCRC said that Ridgewell mostly confronted young, black men and accused theft of theft and robbery.

On Thursday, BTP Vice President Charlie Doyle said that Ridgewell’s actions were “disgust”.

In April 1977, Mr. Campbell was found guilty of theft and conspiracy to steal from British Railway Employee Bricklayers Arms Groads Depot. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Ridgewell filed a lawsuit against Mr. Campbell and others, but his colleagues were found guilty of stealing from the same property warehouse with his colleagues Douglas Ellis and Det Con. Ridgewell was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment in 1980 after playing more than £ 1 million in goods.

In August 2023, CCRC directed the convictions of Mr. Campbell’s common defendants Saliah Mehmet and Basil Petherkin after following the family members.

His conviction was broken in January 2024.

Henry Blaxland KC, representing Mr. Campbell, told the court that he was dealing with the low victims of justice brought by the “state crime”.

He added that the case “thrown a shadow on the justice administration and causes loss of confidence in the legal system, not only in the police, but as a whole”.

Matt Foot, the son of Errol Campbell, said in a statement read by Errol Campbell JR: “The British transport police knew that detective sergeant Derek Ridgewell was corruption and allowed him to continue regardless of what he was doing.

“My father always said he was innocent, and today, almost 50 years later he was finally approved.

“He came to England at Windrush Generation and worked for years for the British railway. Conviction caused absolute misery to my father and our family.

“I am angry that Ridgewell was not alive for this day and never went to jail for all the people he wore. He never responded to his crimes.”

Mr. Foot, then imprisoned by the police officers who were imprisoned for crimes, the cases should be changed automatically for the potential of justice, he added.

“If this was, Campbell would save more than 45 years of misery for the family,” he said.

Mr. Foot also called on the BTP to name Ridgewell, who claimed that the officer was “racist and corrupt” in the 1970s in the 1970s.

He added that the victims of justice have to be “others”.

CCRC, defendants Paul Green, Courtney Harriot, Cleveland Davidson and Texo Johnson’s conviction after the conviction of Mr. de Souza’nın review.

Everet Mullins, the sixth member of the so -called Stockwell Six, was not good enough for his reading ability to read and fully understand the signed statement written by Ridgewell.

On Thursday, Lord Justice Holroyde said that Mr. De Souza, who did not go to court, was “overflowing the wrong faith burden throughout his adult life.”

He said, “This court cannot put everything that has suffered for more than half a century,” he said.

Ass Ch Con Charlie Doyle said BTP was “sincerely sad” to those affected by Ridgewell’s criminal actions.

“[His] In the 1970s and 1980s, terrible actions led to the guilt of innocent people. ”

“I disgust from Derek Ridgewell’s actions and know that we can’t change the past, their actions do not represent today’s BTP.

“We continue to review the records of corrupted practices, including those related to civil servants who have been associated with DS Ridgewell or who may have helped him in a crime activity.

He continued: “We continue to conduct a criminal investigation about the actions of the concerned people and after completing our investigations, we will present a file to CPS.”